5 July 2004

By Bontle Moeng

A new runway for Lanseria International Airport, a 20-minute trip from Mogale City, was officially opened on Wednesday 30 June.

It marks the completion of the second phase of the facility's major revamp.

Now large passenger aeroplanes such as the Boeing 757-300 and the Airbus 319 will be able to take off and land at Lanseria.

The first part of the airport's three-phase transformation involved the refurbishment of the terminal buildings in 2002.

The second phase, the extension and widening of the runway, cost about R100-million.

In the third phase, the air-traffic control tower will be moved to the southern side of the airport.

Lanseria hopes to serve as an alternative to Johannesburg International Airport.

The upgrade will prevent backlogs and will prove invaluable to planes that need to be diverted when clouds cover Johannesburg International Airport.

And business is expected to grow with the increasing attraction of South Africa as a tourist destination.

Roux Marnitz, the chairperson of the airport, says: "We are very excited about the 2010 World Cup. We expect lots of business aircraft during the period leading up to the tournament and indeed during the tournament itself."

Lanseria, which is east of Mogale City, was built in 1974 by private developers who wanted to offer the aviation market a convenient alternative to Johannesburg's main airport.

About 90 000 planes land on the two runways each year and 160  passengers passed through its terminal in 2003.

It has air-traffic control, a 24-hour immigration and customs service, 24-hour refuelling facilities and fire and emergency services.

Lanseria also offers a domestic business lounge, secure covered parking, a foreign-exchange facility, care hire and a shop.

Domestic travellers can also use the new SA Airlink to fly between Lanseria and Cape Town. And a scheduled flight to Mozambique will be offered soon.

Lanseria Airport, located to the east of Mogale City is the preferred base for major South African corporations and the port of entry for many of the overseas corporate aircraft visiting South Africa.

www.lanseria.co.za