Cape Town Runway closed again - the debacle continues
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ACSA being sued
While there seems to be some talk of ACSA - found this on the front page of today's Business Day.
1time to sue Acsa over runway pothole
Carli Lourens
Business Day 25 August 2006
ONE of at least four private airlines becoming increasingly frustrated by Airports Company SA’s (Acsa’s) alleged poor service intends to sue it for losses amounting to R900000.
Low-fare airline 1time said yesterday that it had tried unsuccessfully to recoup losses from Acsa after a hole that had developed in a Cape Town International Airport runway forced flights to be diverted in December last year.
1time marketing director Rodney James said the airline’s initial nonlegal attempts came to nothing as Acsa ignored them.
Another private airline, Nationwide, said it had kept records of the losses it had suffered as a result of the incident at the Cape Town airport.
Nationwide finance director Peter Griffiths said, however, that the group had not taken action as it did not have much hope of recovering its losses.
“Acsa tramples roughshod over its customers,” said Griffiths.
Comair, which operates British Airways and kulula.com, said it was also concerned about the Cape Town incident and had suffered damages as a result of it.
However, Comair would attempt to get a service-level agreement in place with Acsa, instead of trying to recover its losses from the company.
“It’s not only the runway incident — there are 50 to 100 areas where we require service levels to be met, such as in security and parking,” Comair joint CE Gidon Novick said yesterday.
He said a service-level agreement should include imposing punitive measures if airport service standards were not met.
James said the Cape Town incident could have been avoided. He said runways were required to be inspected several times a day.
He said the airline was also frustrated by continual upgrades to airports in SA. James said it was impossible for 1Time to get flights to depart on time during peak holiday periods.
Acsa did not respond to a request for comment yesterday.
Increasing customer unhappiness flies in the face of Acsa’s rising fortunes — its operating profit climbed 30% in the year to March and cash flow jumped 39%
Carli Lourens
Business Day 25 August 2006
ONE of at least four private airlines becoming increasingly frustrated by Airports Company SA’s (Acsa’s) alleged poor service intends to sue it for losses amounting to R900000.
Low-fare airline 1time said yesterday that it had tried unsuccessfully to recoup losses from Acsa after a hole that had developed in a Cape Town International Airport runway forced flights to be diverted in December last year.
1time marketing director Rodney James said the airline’s initial nonlegal attempts came to nothing as Acsa ignored them.
Another private airline, Nationwide, said it had kept records of the losses it had suffered as a result of the incident at the Cape Town airport.
Nationwide finance director Peter Griffiths said, however, that the group had not taken action as it did not have much hope of recovering its losses.
“Acsa tramples roughshod over its customers,” said Griffiths.
Comair, which operates British Airways and kulula.com, said it was also concerned about the Cape Town incident and had suffered damages as a result of it.
However, Comair would attempt to get a service-level agreement in place with Acsa, instead of trying to recover its losses from the company.
“It’s not only the runway incident — there are 50 to 100 areas where we require service levels to be met, such as in security and parking,” Comair joint CE Gidon Novick said yesterday.
He said a service-level agreement should include imposing punitive measures if airport service standards were not met.
James said the Cape Town incident could have been avoided. He said runways were required to be inspected several times a day.
He said the airline was also frustrated by continual upgrades to airports in SA. James said it was impossible for 1Time to get flights to depart on time during peak holiday periods.
Acsa did not respond to a request for comment yesterday.
Increasing customer unhappiness flies in the face of Acsa’s rising fortunes — its operating profit climbed 30% in the year to March and cash flow jumped 39%
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Oh dear, my my, poor old ACSA. Now there are two threads running. Just look at Deskjocky's thread. Maybe that lady should follow 1Time's lead? And don't worry, ACSA can afford it 
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What ACSA are getting up to amounts to legalised theft- they are worse than the mafia. There is not one activity on that airport that they are not getting a cut of/ the whole amount. Problem is the airlines are screwed- no alternative, good luck 1T you have ZERO chance of them even responding to your complaint, sue them will be equally useless as they are a petty bunch of pen pushers- check how many bays you get on Alpha or Delta at JNB after that!
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Yes, be careful 1T, when you get to CPT they'll push you onto Foxtrot Apron or maybe even to the GA Area which, like JHB, they don't give a about anyway. Oh how I wish we could see some competition for that bunch 
about anyway. Oh how I wish we could see some competition for that bunch
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It's a private company with the state as a majority shareholder to bypass the non profit laws. They also run it as a monopoly with the help of govt.
Which part of low down bottom dwelling thieving rubbish is unclear?
Which part of low down bottom dwelling thieving rubbish is unclear?
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No, Aeroporti Di Roma is the other shareholder is it not? Unless that has changed without me noticing it? Anyway, look what else ACSA is faced with - not that this one is their fault:
28 August 2006
BREAKING NEWS: 'Crippling' immigration strike imminent
28 August 2006
BREAKING NEWS: 'Crippling' immigration strike imminent
SOUTH African immigration officials are to embark on a “crippling strike” from September 1, which will affect all points of entry into the country, including airports.
Negotiations to resolve an outstanding salary dispute between the officials’ union, the Public Servants Association (PSA) and Department of Home Affairs have failed.
According to the PSA’s Manie De Clercq, no communication has been received from government and this “lack of urgency in resolving the dispute” has forced the union to move ahead with strike action.
“The Department should accept sole responsibility for the situation as well as the impact of the strike, which will cripple all points of entry into the country,” says Manie.
Oh dear?Negotiations to resolve an outstanding salary dispute between the officials’ union, the Public Servants Association (PSA) and Department of Home Affairs have failed.
According to the PSA’s Manie De Clercq, no communication has been received from government and this “lack of urgency in resolving the dispute” has forced the union to move ahead with strike action.
“The Department should accept sole responsibility for the situation as well as the impact of the strike, which will cripple all points of entry into the country,” says Manie.
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These are the hard working immigration officers who are normally asleep on their desks when you roll in there at lunch time on a Sunday, not so? Trying to get a coherent response and a friendly greeting out of them instead of a surly grunt is like pulling teeth.
Bunch of wasters, just like their political masters...
2010 is going to be a real dream come true....
Bunch of wasters, just like their political masters...
2010 is going to be a real dream come true....
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ACSA cant run our airports efficiently enough and
now you talk of them taking over Abuja?
What a joke
Is this strike for sure on the 1st? My boet is arriving from EGLL
and has been out of the country for more then a year, what a great
welcome it would be for him and the other tourists!
You know what they say about first impressions
now you talk of them taking over Abuja?
What a joke
Is this strike for sure on the 1st? My boet is arriving from EGLL
and has been out of the country for more then a year, what a great
welcome it would be for him and the other tourists!
You know what they say about first impressions
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Rani: You want ACSA to take over Abuja? I think you need to go and lay down until the feeling goes away
It's expensive enough passing through Abuja, why would you want to pay more for less?
It's expensive enough passing through Abuja, why would you want to pay more for less?
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[QUOTE=JetPark;2803785]No, Aeroporti Di Roma is the other shareholder is it not? Unless that has changed without me noticing it?
Jet Park - No, ADR sold their shares back to the government and these are now held by the PIC (still the state though)
Jet Park - No, ADR sold their shares back to the government and these are now held by the PIC (still the state though)
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Originally Posted by putt for dough
ACSA cant run our airports efficiently enough and
now you talk of them taking over Abuja?
What a joke
now you talk of them taking over Abuja?
What a joke
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Abuja Airport is even a bigger joke (epileptic power supply, reliance on a single runway despite VIP traffic interruptions, among other "shows") FAAN is beyond a joke, it's a national disgrace. The reputation of Nigerian airports around the world speaks for itself... It's about time the Nigerian government concessioned / privatized the airports beginning with Abuja and the Lagos domestic terminal.
ACSA might be inefficient but it definietely has the expertise and minimum professionalism needed to turn around / expand ABV.
Besides, ACSA along with Vienna Airport consortium and another company "Abuja Airport Consortium" are the three short-listed companies. ACSA appears to be the most experienced in both airport management as well as African environment. They also managed to land a management contract in Mumbai india?
Do you care to shed some light on ACSA's problems within SA?
ACSA might be inefficient but it definietely has the expertise and minimum professionalism needed to turn around / expand ABV.
Besides, ACSA along with Vienna Airport consortium and another company "Abuja Airport Consortium" are the three short-listed companies. ACSA appears to be the most experienced in both airport management as well as African environment. They also managed to land a management contract in Mumbai india?
Do you care to shed some light on ACSA's problems within SA?
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There was a very interesting article in the Sunday Times about 2 weeks ago in which the CEO Monhla Hlahla was their featured personality. One part of the article was particularly entertaining to me :
I struggle to see how they are giving value to the public.
Read the whole article here
http://www.sundaytimes.co.za/Article...spx?ID=2190479
“There are many, many monopolies in the world and even in our country, but they remain inefficient and do not get such results.”
When I look unsuitably convinced, she adds: “Our economy is so small that many of our big companies behave like monopolies. It would be nice to see monopolies being able to generate value that they put back in the development of infrastructure.”
Small, likeable and at 42 relatively young, Hlahla, who seemed so innocent and vulnerable when I last spoke to her three years ago, has mastered the executive art of sounding injured while defending her record. “That is why they designed us to be a monopoly — so that we focus solely on investing back in the infrastructure. We are a monopoly, but a monopoly that is able to give value back to the public,” she says.
When I look unsuitably convinced, she adds: “Our economy is so small that many of our big companies behave like monopolies. It would be nice to see monopolies being able to generate value that they put back in the development of infrastructure.”
Small, likeable and at 42 relatively young, Hlahla, who seemed so innocent and vulnerable when I last spoke to her three years ago, has mastered the executive art of sounding injured while defending her record. “That is why they designed us to be a monopoly — so that we focus solely on investing back in the infrastructure. We are a monopoly, but a monopoly that is able to give value back to the public,” she says.
Read the whole article here
http://www.sundaytimes.co.za/Article...spx?ID=2190479
Paxing All Over The World
FUG
Aahh, if only ACSA did have a PIC (Pilot in Command)
... and these are now held by the PIC (still the state though)
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I think the value they give to the public is indeed constant and consistent(albeit very slow) reinvestment into the infrastructure. Problem is they constantly run just behind the power curve. They tend to operate in a form of crises management and in overload mode all the time. My biggest problem is the focus on this aspect (reinvestment for the public) of their robust balance sheet and no (or rather very little) attention is paid to the stakeholder on their airports. I know of numerous examples where various forums continually with ACSA. Strange bunch.
with ACSA. Strange bunch.
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Another hole in the runway at Cape Town:
A surface defect on a runway at Cape Town International Airport caused an in-bound flight from London to be diverted to Bloemfontein, SABC radio news reported on Thursday. Airports Company of South Africa spokesperson Deidre Hendricks said domestic operations had not been affected. The runway was in partial use, and the defect was located about 200m from the threshold of the runway, Hendricks said. Acsa was working hard to get the runway fully operational, SABC reported.