DURBAN - KwaZulu-Natal’s King Shaka International Airport in northern eThekwini has been voted the best regional airport in Africa for 2021 at the Skytrax World Airport Awards.
The airport’s corporate affairs specialist Lulama Mchunu confirmed the win on Wednesday.
King Shaka International thanked its passengers and staff as well as stakeholders in a statement over Twitter.
“King Shaka International is very proud to announce that we have won the Best Regional Airport in Africa Award at the 2021 Skytrax World Airport Awards,” it said in a statement.
KwaZulu-Natal spokesperson for transport Kwanele Ncalane said in an interview with the African News Agency (ANA) on Wednesday that the win came at an opportune time for the province.
Ncalane said the win was going to aid KZN’s economic recovery plan, which had been set back by the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic and pushed back further by the recent civil unrest that engulfed the province.
“This award means a lot to us as a province. For one, it means we are capable of building a world-class and state-of-the-art infrastructure. Secondly, it is going to bolster the province in terms of economic growth because of its strategic positioning,” he said.
Ncalane said that the department had plans to integrate its transport system in terms of air, land rail and freight, and that the win was a stepping stone to achieving its goal.
“It is going to increase the airport’s international profile. I think it came at a really opportune moment because we are currently recovering from the recent looting and violence, so our focus as a provincial government is a message of hope,” Ncalane said.
King Shaka International was not the only South African airport to take home an award, as Cape Town International Airport in the Western Cape took home the awards for Best Airport in Africa, Best Airport Staff in Africa and Best Airport Cleanliness in Africa.
African News Agency (ANA)