Cape Town International Airport welcomes 10 millionth passenger

On 28 December 2016, the Cape Town International Airport welcomed its 10th million passenger, the first time the airport has hit this milestone number within a calendar year.

Alan Winde, Minister of Economic Opportunities, commended CTIA on this milestone achievement, which was reached just three days before the end of the year.

“The Cape Town International Airport (CTIA) has hit its biggest milestone yet, highlighting once again that it is a major asset not only for those who pass through it, but for jobs and growth in our economy. At a time when tourism to our region is at an all-time high, this team is continuing to up its game, offering world class service to passengers visiting our region. It is not surprising that CTIA is a firm favourite at international airport award ceremonies, helping to establish the Western Cape as one of the world’s most welcoming destinations. Through partnerships with strong role-players like the airport, tourism to the Western Cape is on the charge. This is in line with our Project Khulisa growth strategy, through which we are seeking to create up to 100 000 additional tourism jobs in our region,” said Minister Winde.

Deon Cloete, General Manager of CTIA, said: “Reaching the 10 million passengers per year mark is an important milestone for ACSA and for the Western Cape region. CTIA is a critical gateway for the continuing growth of domestic and international tourism to the Western Cape and we have seen solid passenger volume growth over the past few years.”

CTIA is the second busiest airport in South Africa and third busiest in Africa. 

Through a dedicated Air Access team comprised of global aviation specialists, the Western Cape is targeting the development and initiation of new routes to key strategic markets.

Cape Town Air Access is a partnership between the Western Cape Government, the City of Cape Town, Wesgro, Airports Company of South Africa and Cape Town Tourism.

The team has secured six new routes and eight route expansions, resulting in over half a million more two-way seats coming into Cape Town. Since July last year, this additional capacity has generated roughly R3 billion in additional tourism revenue for the Western Cape.

Wesgro CEO, Tim Harris, congratulated CTIA on achieving this milestone: “An increase in passenger traffic through CTIA is a direct result of additional direct air access routes into the Western Cape. This in turn is a key factor for economic development and job creation in the region. Cape Town Air Access initiative has assisted in adding more than 400 000 two-way direct seats to Cape Town since inception across the July 2015 to December 2016 period, which has directly contributed to the growth of CTIA.”