The last word Airport World catches up with Ndabo Khoza, CEO of Tourism KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa.
Do people like Durban’s new airport? Even though we had grown used to our small airport, most people welcomed the move to King Shaka, which was fi rst mooted 40 years ago. I think for this reason, to many people of our province, its opening was a dream come true. One of the biggest challenges for the old Durban International Airport was its limited capacity, both in terms of the runway and its expansion potential. In marked contrast to this, the new King Shaka International Airport provides endless potential for growth.
How closely do you work with the Airports Company South Africa (ACSA)? We have been working with ACSA and the Dube TradePort for the past four years on marketing and promoting the new airport to a number of airlines. We have also jointly participated at the World Route Development Forum over the past few years. At the end of the day, it is important for us to work with ACSA as they are the airport operator and one of our fulfi lment partners when it comes to attracting new international airlines and routes.
Will the new gateway act as a catalyst for route development? Durban has an established domestic network between the various major cities in the country, but primarily due to the constraints of our old airport, has never been strong on direct international routes. We hope
86 Factfi le
Name: Ndabo Khoza Age: 43
Job title: Chief executive offi cer of Tourism KwaZulu-Natal
Nationality: South African
Time in aviation industry: Six years in the tourism industry
Best known for:
Being passionate about what I do
Little known fact: Big football fan
this will change with the new airport. Emirates now fl ies daily between Durban and Dubai, for example, and this has led to a signifi cant increase in the number of tourists fl ying directly into Durban.
What new international routes would you like to see introduced at Durban? I think there is great potential for introducing non-stop services to other countries in the Southern Africa region, particularly the land-locked ones. I also believe that Durban can become South Africa’s eastern gateway to Asia, Australia and the Middle East.
What are the biggest positives to emerge from the 2010 FIFA World Cup? The most important thing is that we have proved to the world that we can host big events. This has
AIRPORT WORLD/AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2010
opened up opportunities for us to explore hosting many other events, which before the World Cup, we would not have been considered an appropriate destination for them. The same applies to trade and investment opportunities. Almost everywhere in the world, people now know that there is a country called South Africa, which hosted one of the most memorable FIFA World Cup fi nals in 2010.
Do you think that it has made the world look at South Africa and the African continent in a different way? The World Cup has certainly brought a new sense of pride to the people of South Africa and the whole continent. Many fans returning home will offer a different perspective
of the host country. Results aside, many visiting fans have travelled to South Africa for the fi rst time and will return home with fond memories of the hospitable nature of the country.
A fi nal word on the impact of the World Cup for KwaZulu-Natal and South Africa? The event, in essence, fast tracked the construction of a number of different projects that were needed but would not have been built today if it had not been for South Africa 2010. The pride and the unity of our people displayed during the World Cup was also one of the highlights and provided some amazing moments. It was indeed a once in a lifetime experience for many of our people.
AW
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