Airport move costs SAA R35m

It has cost SA Airways (SAA) R35m to relocate from the old Durban International airport to the new King Shaka International airport. The national carrier's costs included cargo, technical, and airport operations, SAA spokesman Fani Zulu said on Friday. The new R7.9 billion airport, 60 kilometres away from the old airport, will start operating on May 1.

Zulu said SAA had already begun the move from Durban International to King Shaka.

"All SAA operational infrastructure and systems are in place to go live on May 1 2010.

"Cargo buildings and the SAA business class departures lounge are in the process of being finalised," he said.

SAA was not the only company that had to fork out money to relocate to the new airport.

Spur managing director Pierre van Tonder this week said the company had spent R4.5m to move to the new airport, and there had been a substantial change in the rental being charged.

Europcar did not want to disclose the amount it had spent, but said migration costs ran into millions of rands.

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