Comair’s announced bid to buy Durban International Airport has been dismissed as a mere publicity stunt by the Department of Transport’s chief director civil aviation, Anwar Abdul Gany.

“The fact is that there is no tender nor an intent to sell off the current airport to any party for the use of the property as a commercial airport and, let me add, this is not in any way anti-competitive,” he told the 39th AGM of the Airlines Association of Southern Africa held near Hermanus. He said the government was considering its options bearing in mind that Durban International was a prime spot of real estate. He defended the controversial development of La Mercy as an “absolute safety necessity”, referring to the recent Airlink accident, which claimed the life of the pilot and left the crew seriously hurt. “Critics may augment that we are now maximising mileage from this ill-fated accident. I assure you this is not the case. The fact remains that the current Durban International Airport has reached its ending point.” He said La Mercy would be the catalyst for economic development in KZN.  Addressing airlines’ concerns that they would pay for the new airport through hiked tariffs, he said fees paid by airlines for landing and parking at all Acsa airports were independently regulated.