LANSERIA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT SUCCESFULLY HANDLES WORLD CUP PASSENGER DEMANDS

Lanseria International Airport was assigned the task as one of the six major airports to be used during FIFA World Cup.  Lanseria was also appointed as the LOC and FIFA’s base of flight operations for their executives.

The success of the airport operations can be attributed to the close cooperation between all the stakeholders including the Government Departments, FBO’s, Charter Companies, Transport entities, FIFA, LOC and hospitality companies.

Germany, Australia, Brazil and Portugal made use of Lanseria for all their domestic flights to the various host cities. Despite the strict security measures that were required and the need for a sterile area during these departures all team movements occurred without a hitch.

In addition to the large number of fans that used the airport Lanseria International Airport was inundated by Heads of State, FIFA delegates, the main Sponsors, celebrities, sporting greats and other VIPs.

This Airport activity reached a peak on Sunday 11 when a large contingent of foreign business jets converged on the airport.  Despite many of these aircraft being last minute arrivals they were accommodated without any negative impact on the airport operations. By Sunday afternoon over 187 business jets were parked on the airport. The parallel runway was closed down to provide additional parking space.

This was a remarkable achievement considering the relative size of the airport.  Another notable achievement was that despite this massive influx of private aircraft, all the Kulula scheduled operations continued without disruption or delays.

In anticipation of the large amount of international visitors, staffing at the various Governments departments were increased and additional part time students were trained before the event and their deployment contributed to the handling of the increased demand for services.

The success of the operations can be attributed to the exceptional dedication and effort by the airport staff and operators at the airport.

The Airport Manager, Gavin Sayce, was quoted as saying that it was extremely satisfying to see how the airport community came together, sharing manpower and equipment, to ensure that the event was a success. It exemplifies the can do spirit and co-operation that exists at the airport.

What happened at Lanseria on the final day of this auspicious event shows how through proper planning, cooperation, adaptability and dedication the challenges of successfully managing such a large number of aircraft can be met This reaffirms Lanseria International Airport position as Africa’s premier business jet airport.