‘Airports will become construction sites’: ACSA outlines R22bn rollout and tight deadlines

Members of Parliament have warned that South Africa’s airports face years of construction as Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) begins implementing a R22 billion infrastructure programme. The announcement came during a briefing to the Portfolio Committee on Transport that also involved Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS) and the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA).

Major works will roll out in waves

Solomon Mokoena, ACSA’s Capital Infrastructure and Asset Management Executive, told MPs the programme will move from planning into delivery and will “turn our airports into real construction sites.” He said the delivery will occur in waves, with an initial wave of works expected around 2027.

The 2027 programme is set to include a CCTV replacement programme and the OR Tambo warehouse refurbishment, while a significant set of airside projects is scheduled for delivery in 2029.

Key projects and timelines

ACSA’s timeline, as presented to the committee, includes:

• Rehabilitation of the Kimberley Airport and OR Tambo airside corridors planned for the 2029 wave.
• Construction and commissioning of a new 5 500 x 60 m runway at Cape Town International Airport included in the 2029 wave.
• Terminal development at Cape Town International Airport and other large projects scheduled between 2031 and 2032.
• Eleven of the 12 projects are expected to be completed by 2031, but the JHB Cargo Midfield project at OR Tambo is expected to finish later, around March 2032.

Safety, security and capacity upgrades

ACSA said the programme includes a security upgrade that will add smart detection, automated links, permit issuance and access controls, with that work targeted for completion during the 2029 delivery wave. Mokoena said these investments aim to improve safety, regulatory compliance, airport capacity and operational resilience, and to make passenger journeys safer and faster.

Questions from MPs and concerns over readiness

Committee members pressed ACSA and the aviation regulators on readiness and timelines. MP Ntombovuyo Nkopane questioned the status of critical instrument landing system (ILS) safety upgrades, noting some start dates were listed as TBC and that Durban shows delays into 2028 and 2031.

She also cited that East London is being pushed to 2029 and that Port Elizabeth is expected to be completed by September 2026, describing the September deadline as imminent.

Performance and incident response

MP Makashule Gana criticised optimistic presentations of progress and warned the committee needs a clearer picture of operational reality. He pointed to an incident in which one of Air Kenya’s flights was delayed to Cape Town because of a tyre burst on the runway that took more than three hours to clear, and said response times to runway incidents should improve.

Safety trends and recommendations

Themba Thabethe, Executive of the Accident and Incident Investigation Division at SACAA, said the absolute number of aircraft accidents has reduced by 40% and that the accident rate in airline and scheduled operations is 0%. SACAA reported that 33 safety recommendations have been issued from April 2025 to date, of which 23 have been implemented and closed.

ACSA says it is recovering

ACSA chairperson Irvin Phenyane told MPs the company is rolling out the R22 billion programme over the next three to five years and that implementation began around 2020. He said the COVID-19 pandemic affected progress but that ACSA is on recovery and the organisation is focused on growth and innovation.

Committee oversight will continue as delivery moves from planning into on-the-ground construction across South Africa’s airports.