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OR Tambo International Airport says it is designed to accommodate significantly more passengers during the December holiday period compared to recent months, and anticipates a good holiday season despite the subsequent closure of schools and businesses during the year. .
However, the airport administration has urged passengers who will be flying in the coming weeks and who have likely not traveled by air in the last 12 months to prepare for the use of masks and other end-to-end health precautions.
Airport projections, based on airline slot bookings and taking into account the late start of school holidays, indicate that the peak date for departing passengers will be December 18, 2020. The peak date for passengers arriving at the airport is expected to be January 21, 2021.
Spokesperson Samukelo Khambule said that the key measures taken at the beginning of the lockdown period have been further relaxed and that the airport will be more like the passenger experience before Covid-19.
“Starting this week, the airport was opened to the public for the first time since March 27. Additionally, the lower road has been opened for trucks, which will ease congestion at Parkade 2 South, ”he said.
“Since the restrictions began to be lifted in June, the number of passengers returning to the skies has increased gradually but steadily,” says Khambule.
Since early June, the airport said it has facilitated the departure of 218,708 domestic passengers and the arrival of 2,385 domestic flights.
The international and regional flight market reopened as of November 20. The regional market has accumulated 4,587 departure passengers and 259 arrival movements. The international market has accumulated 48,598 outbound passengers and 112 inbound movements since November 20, 2020.
“While we expect higher passenger and flight volumes during December and January, the total is likely to be about the middle of the 2019 Christmas season,” Khambule said.
“With the start of Lift and the return of some domestic airlines, we have reason to be optimistic that passenger growth will further improve in the coming months.”
Protocols
Khambule said Christmas season passengers should follow protocols on masks, physical distancing and sanitation.
“To ensure sufficient processing time, we recommend that passengers arrive early at the airport, at least two hours before their flight for domestic travel and four hours for international travel.
“We should all remain very aware of the greater risks when larger numbers of people congregate. The national Covid situation is something that should prompt a renewed commitment to following simple measures that protect each of us.
Khambule said the airport is reluctant to take a “heavy-handed approach” to enforcing health protocols. He added that there are ‘Covid monitors’ throughout the airport, but it is not possible to monitor every person in every row.
Therefore, it is essential that travelers and visitors to the airport continue to use good judgment, particularly in terms of physical distancing, Khambule said.
She said passengers and those who transport them to the airport should also verify that they are not parked in a high-fare zone before leaving their vehicles.
At the point of security search, passengers must self-undress, which means removing belts, watches, keys, jewelry, and other items in their pockets. This will help with rapid passenger processing, he said.
Read: South Africa To Make Covid-19 Detection Easier For Travelers
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