GEORGE NEWS - The burgeoning Garden Route's capacity to accommodate tourists via air travel is set to more than double by the end of the decade.

This as the Airports Company South Africa (Acsa) has embarked on a R310m project to expand and refurbish the existing George Airport terminal.

Currently, the airport can accommodate 900 000 passengers per year, but that figure will be bumped up to two million by September 2029. Construction should start in the second half of next year and take about three years to complete.

Acsa's spokesperson, Thea Govindsamy, said key upgrades will include the expansion of the check-in area, baggage processing and security processing, as well as enhancements to the departure lounge, boarding gates and the arrivals baggage claim hall. 

Public concourse areas as well as retail and commercial lounge spaces will also receive an overhaul, and the terminal frontage and landside parking areas will also be reconfigured.

With plans finalised and funding secured, consultant appointments are now being finalised, and the approval of the stage 1 report and concept design development is also underway.

Meanwhile, Acsa and key stakeholders have joined forces to establish whether positioning George Airport as an export hub would be feasible. 

While Govindsamy would not be drawn into revealing further details about the task team, she confirmed they were assessing the feasibility of enhancing air cargo capabilities to help the region's economy grow, especially in agriculture and manufacturing.

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