New airport permits to be phased in by December

JOY ORLEK
ROLL-out of the new airport access system at OR Tambo International Airport has begun and December is the deadline for full implementation. The permit, which will replace the now defunct Acsa permit for shippers and freight forwarders collecting cargo from the public area of the airport, was adopted after lengthy negotiation between stakeholders and Airports Company SA and is designed to upgrade airport security through better access control. “A number of companies have already registered and we have agreed with Acsa that from December they can control access by means of the new permits,” says Air Cargo Operators’ Committee chairman Alwyn Rautenbach. “A number of companies are in the process of registering and we are confident that registration will be complete by the deadline date.” Developed in conjunction with Identity Verification Systems (IVS), the new permit is a self-regulated, internet-based card that provides a high level of control.