Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula conducted a COVID-19 regulations compliance inspection at the airport on Thursday.
FILE: A general view of Cape Town International Airport. Picture: @WesternCapeGov/Twitter
CAPE TOWN – Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula has given Cape Town International Airport (CTIA) the green light to resume with operations for travel outside the country from next week.
He conducted a COVID-19 regulations compliance inspection at the airport on Thursday.
Mbalula said that the travel list would be made available next week.
Airports Company South Africa CEO Mpumi Mpofu said that a number of airlines had applied for slots while they waited for the finalisation of the country green list.
Mpofu said that they had seen an increase in passenger numbers over the past two weeks, which was a good sign.
She said that the company would also start preparing for the peak season in Cape Town, which is from October to December.
“We’ve also got projections that show that number will increase even further in the second part of September.”
Mpofu said that the airport was ready and with the introduction of a thermal imaging scanner which checks temperatures from far and an e-gate.
“We are actually going to be pushing passengers with efficient systems, but also safe systems.”
Meanwhile, Mbalula said that finalising the list was a process: “The Department of Health is leading us. So, when we take decisions about lower-risk countries, today South Africa is part of the high-risk countries. So, we need to be guided regarding that.”
