Plans for a proposed new airport in eThekwini motivated by the City's economic growth, says the Municipality.
eThekwini City Manager Musa Mbhele recently spoke on a possible new airport in eThekwini
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The proposed construction of the new airport in eThekwini is driven by economic indicators that show the city’s future economic outlook is very bright.
The Ethekwini Municipality stated that, despite the looting and natural disasters, its economic growth is showing strong positive indicators. The municipality revealed that it is exploring the construction of a new airport in the south of Durban. The Mercury reported on these plans recently.
This move has been widely welcomed by opposition parties and business people, especially those in the south of the city. Prior to the construction of King Shaka International Airport, located north of the city, the city's previous airport was situated in the south.
In a statement, the municipality said, "The Municipality has observed an increasing trend in local and foreign direct investment within the city, notwithstanding the disasters that have been experienced over the recent years (COVID-19, July 2021 unrest, and floods). The city’s current and future economic growth and development outlook is very bright.
“As part of its strategic response, the Municipality is exploring various ways to exploit opportunities presented by economic growth and the challenges faced. As part of this exploration, the Municipality is considering the development of a second airport in the south of Durban. It is common knowledge that airports act as a catalyst for economic growth and lead to a significant increase in benefits such as job creation and property values, amongst others.
“The above is still in an exploratory stage. Once the necessary due diligence study has been completed, more details will be shared regarding the exact location, conceptual plans, and a special purpose vehicle to be used to develop such an airport,” said the statement.
Tourism organisations welcomed the city’s plan for the new airport, pointing out that the tourism industry had suffered immensely after the old airport was closed.