EVENTS NEWS: AIRPORT CITIES
Game on
Images courtesy of airportcities. aero.
Africa learnt more about the airport city phenomenon at the recent Airport Cities World Conference and Exhibition( ACE) in Ekurhuleni, writes Steven Thompson.
It is surely a sign of the increasing importance of emerging markets that the Airport Cities World Conference and Exhibition( ACE) was held, for the first time, in Africa. The annual event was hosted by the City of Ekurhuleni, known as South Africa’ s workshop and home to the continent’ s busiest gateway, Johannesburg’ s OR Tambo International Airport.
The city, just to the east of Johannesburg, already has bold plans to become Africa’ s first‘ aerotropolis’, and more than 700 delegates from 45 countries, representing over 100 airports or airport authorities, were in Ekurhuleni to hear more about its ambitions.
The conference was also given updates and progress reports from some of the most significant airport city projects across the globe.
Following sight-seeing tours, including a trip to the Apartheid Museum, Nelson Mandela’ s family home, Desmond Tutu’ s home, and the Oliver Reginald Tambo cultural precinct, delegates were taken on an Airport City Tour and then attended pre-conference master-classes run by event chairman, Professor John Kasarda.
The conference, held at the Emperors Palace Hotel, saw Deputy Minister of Transport for South Africa, Sindisiwe Chikunga, deliver the welcome address.
She noted that ACI’ s most recent forecast predicts that global passenger numbers will grow to 12 billion in the next 20 years and said that despite the current economic climate, this positive outlook should“ encourage us to address the long-term aviation needs of our respective countries”.
“ Developing airports remains a priority for this South African government. We must deliver airport infrastructure to deliver economic growth,” added Chikunga.
She said South Africa had a network of 135 civil aviation airports which played a significant part in the 2010 FIFA Football World Cup.
Chikunga also commended the City of Ekurhuleni for its vision in developing the Ekurhuleni Aerotropolis, concluding:“ The Department of Transport embraces the concept of the airport city and aerotropolis to meet the social and economic goals of this country.”
The first day of the conference culminated in the Gala Evening at the nearby Germiston Lake.
On day two, delegates split into two streams and attended sessions on topics including governance and strategic roadmaps, investment and infrastructure management, commercial development and real estate, airport design and non-aeronautical revenue development.
The emerging markets session saw Kasarda introduce speakers such as Sanjay Khanna, of GVK, who talked about Mumbai’ s ambitious SkyCity project. He revealed GVK was on the brink of gaining government approval for the development.
Khanna said:“ It has been a three year planning process and we are just about to get approval from the government. I think it will be a nice development for the city of Mumbai.”
Graham Bolton, of ARUP, then painted an encouraging picture of the scene in emerging markets. He said there was“ fertile ground for aerotropolis developments”, adding that they already form an integral part in master planning for new airports.
ACE was brought to a close with the Farewell Reception held by Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad( MAHB), the host for next year’ s event in Kuala Lumpur.
The farewell event saw the unveiling of the new Airport Cities Excellence Awards, which will take place for the first time in 12 months’ time. With so many promising airport city and aerotropolis projects on show this year, there is bound to be plenty of competition for the top awards in 2014.
AW
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