Johannesburg – The Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) won three category awards and claimed two runner-up accolades at the prestigious South African Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Industry Awards ceremony.
Commenting on the remarkable achievements, ACSA said it was, “extremely proud to announce that King Shaka International Airport (KSIA) won the Aviation Sustainability and Environment Award, while OR Tambo International Airport (ORTIA) took the win in the publicly voted Best Airport category and was also named first runner-up in the Aviation Sustainability and Environment category”.
The awards were held on Friday, (10 November 2023).
Returning after a three-year hiatus, the Civil Aviation Awards 2023 celebrated excellence in the South African aviation industry, recognising the achievements of local industry role players across 18 categories.
Cape Town International Airport (CTIA) received the Airport Achievement Award for Service Excellence and was recognised as the first runner-up in the Aviation Safety category.
“We are delighted that King Shaka International has been recognised for its unwavering commitment to ACSA sustainability goals,” said KSIA Regional General Manager Nkosinathi Myataza.
“We continuously and proactively assess and manage the environmental impact of our operations, in line with our integrated transformation and sustainability objectives.”
Myataza added: “I am greatly comforted to know that the work that is being done by KSIA in terms of environmental sustainability is paying dividends and this award provides us with the motivation to continue working hard towards ensuring that we continue to meet our environmental sustainability goals.”
ORTIA Regional General Manager Jabulani Khambule said winning the publicly voted Best Airport Award is proof that South Africa’s busiest airport was delivering world-class service excellence to its customers.
“I am immensely proud of the dedication and hard work of our team which has made winning this award possible,” Khambule said.
“This accolade is a vote of confidence from the very public we serve and testimony that we are delivering on our goal to provide services that consistently meet and even exceed our customers’ expectations.”
Khambule adds that securing the runner-up spot in the Aviation Sustainability and Environment category speaks volumes about ORTIA’s ability to operate in a sustainable and environmentally friendly manner, in line with ACSA’s sustainability agenda.
Reacting to CTIA winning the Airport Achievement Award for Service Excellence and being named first runner-up in the Aviation Safety category, CTIA Regional General Manager Mark Maclean heaped praise on the dedicated teams and personnel.
“I am immensely proud and grateful for the unwavering commitment of each individual that has contributed to this achievement,” said Maclean.
“Your outstanding performance and relentless pursuit of service excellence have made us all proud. I am truly privileged to work alongside such an exceptional team.
“I would also like to congratulate the CTIA Airside Safety team, CTIA management, the Airside Safety Committee, the Local Runway Safety Team, and the entire airport staff for working collectively to create and maintain a safe airport for all.”
ACSA said the recognition that both ORTIA and KSIA gained in the Aviation Sustainability and Environment Award category shines a spotlight on its deep commitment to managing its environmental impact and having best-practice strategies, policies, processes, and procedures in place to do so.
Among the various and wide-ranging sustainability initiatives pursued by ACSA is a programme to reduce its impact on wildlife through the development of procedures that describe and outline techniques to reduce potential bird and wildlife hazards for its airports through wildlife hazard management plans.
ACSA said it has also implemented a programme of energy efficiency and reduction, as well as various water usage reduction initiatives across its airport network.
Ongoing engagements are held with the relevant regulators to ensure that ACSA remains compliant with its environmental monitoring and reporting obligations.
This year’s CAA Industry Awards gala was held at Focus Rooms, a state-of-the-art conference and events venue in Sandton, and attracted various aviation industry leaders, stakeholders, VIPs, and government delegates, including guest of honour Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga.
