George Airport Terminal set for Massive Expansion Project

By Garth Calitz

George Airport is embarking on a massive upgrade project that is slated to be completed in 2029. Upon completion of the upgrade, the Airport, which currently manages up to 900,000 passengers annually, will have the capacity to accommodate two million passengers per year.

Thea Govindsamy, spokesperson for Acsa, highlighted several significant enhancements planned for the airport, including:

• Major upgrades to the terminal and check-in area

• Better baggage handling systems

• Upgraded security processing

• Enhancements for the departure lounge, boarding gates, as well as arrivals baggage claim hall.

The public concourses, retail spaces, and commercial lounges at the airport are scheduled for redesign. Additionally, the terminal frontage and landside parking will be reconfigured to enhance traffic flow and accessibility.

Govindsamy stated that the planning process is progressing on schedule, with secured funding, ongoing consultant appointments, and the approval process for stage 1 reporting and concept design currently in progress. The initial stage is scheduled to begin in the middle of next year and is expected to take three years to complete.

The scope of work for this ambitious project encompasses the design, construction, and commissioning of the Terminal Expansion Project and related works at George Airport, following the design guidelines outlined in the Functional Concept Design Layout developed by Airports Company South Africa (ACSA).

The ACSA Functional Concept Design Layout outlines the demand-related specifications, spatial provisions, and dimensions of circulation, queuing and operational elements for passengers and the public within the airport terminal building. It effectively communicates the integrated transportation network intended for development, detailing the nodes and areas within the network, their sizes, and optimal spatial relationships.

The proposed scope of work is divided into the following key focus areas, which collectively outline the overall project scope details:

• Terminal Expansion: The expansion of the existing terminal building to accommodate increased passenger traffic will be guided by the ACSA Concept Design Layout and the accommodation schedule, both of which have been developed to direct the necessary enhancements of the terminal structure.

• Existing Terminal Renovation: This project entails the renovation of the current terminal building to enhance the passenger experience and upgrade facilities. It includes the modernisation of information technology systems utilised for terminal management, such as baggage handling, building management systems (BMS), security, and passenger processing systems. Additionally, the project involves the design and installation of building services, including HVAC, lighting, power, plumbing, and fire protection systems.

• Sustainability Requirements: This will entail meeting the ACSA requirement of delivering a building certified with a 4 Green Star rating for the project. A feasibility study must be conducted to enable ACSA to identify and evaluate suitable sustainability initiatives and to determine whether achieving a 4 Green Star rating is feasible or advantageous, ensuring it provides maximum benefit within the project's budgetary constraints.

• Kerbside Relocation: This will entail the relocation and expansion of the kerbside operational components and the existing ring road to facilitate the expansion of the terminal building.

• Specialist Studies: This will entail specifying all necessary Specialist Studies and defining the scope of these studies. This encompasses investigations, condition assessments, surveys and analyses, demolition and clearing, utility installations, establishment of access points, site camps, and other related establishment activities.

• Project Delivery management: This process will encompass the planning, development of methodologies, phasing, and management of design and construction activities. It will inherently include the formulation of a construction phasing strategy (covering both enablement work and main works), scheduling, cost estimation, risk management, and quality control for all project activities.

• General Design Requirements for inclusion in scope: This process will entail a comprehensive analysis and enumeration of specific requirements from the various divisions within ACSA, which the professional consultant team must incorporate during the design development phase.

These key focus areas should be reviewed alongside the ACSA Concept Design Layout, which outlines both ground and first-floor areas of the terminal building. An accommodation schedule was created based on this layout, detailing the minimum spatial upgrade requirements necessary to expand existing processing areas. These provisions are essential for the design intervention aimed at increasing terminal capacity.

The accommodation schedule is based on the ACSA Concept Design Layout, which outlines the spatial planning and expansion scope for the terminal. The figures for additional and total square meterage, as well as quantities in the schedule, are minimum requirements from this layout. These figures may be refined during the design development phase with the professional consultant team.

A detailed overview of the project's scope, highlighting the essential components of the work scope, includes: Terminal Expansion, Terminal Renovation, Kerbside Relocation, Sustainability Requirements, Specialist Studies, Project Delivery Management, and General Design Requirements to be included in the scope. The table below serves as a guide to the colour indicators in the ACSA Concept Design Layout:

This is a very ambitious project, and all we can do is hope that it is correctly managed and does not end up like so many other government projects, looted and uncompleted, with appointed contractors disappearing into the night with millions in advance payments.