CAPE Town International Airport (CTIA) will open a R10m temporary domestic departure facility in the middle of this month.

CTIA gm, George Uriesi, told a media briefing in Cape Town this was to solve severe congestion at peak times caused by unprecedented passenger growth and the current construction of a new permanent terminal scheduled for completion by mid-2009.

The temporary departure facility will be positioned on the airside. It will double the domestic departure area’s space to 2 600 sqm, add four more gates to total 20, increase bus positions to seven and add 140 seats, totalling 320.

The temporary facility will consist of a German-designed but locally constructed steel and aluminium frame. Its side walls will consist of fibreglass panels and 140m of glass. Features include a carpeted floor, safety and fire systems, CCTV and PA systems. Uriesi assured passengers and airlines the cost of the facility would not be transferred to them in the shape of increased landing fees or airport taxes.

He said the airport’s infrastructure was under strain from a record 15% growth in passenger numbers reaching 8,3m in 2007, representing double-digit growth for four consecutive years. Some 98% of this growth was from domestic traffic. The airport was expecting to handle 9,5m passenger a year by the time the new terminal was completed.

Uriesi said the R1,3bn budgeted cost of CTIA’s current infrastructural development was expected to increase with rising inflation but he declined to commit to an amount.

Parking demand continues to outstrip supply at peak hours and will continue to do so until a second multi-storey parkade opens in mid-2009, adding 4 000 more bays – double the amount originally planned. Uriesi said rail access was part of the airport’s master plan and a train station was already provided for in its development plans. “We are working with the city and the province in this regard and we are waiting for the button to be pushed,” he said.