U.S. to Help Pay for South Africa Airport Upgrades

Reducing delays while increasing air-traffic safety and efficiency are the goals of a new federal endeavor launched this week -- and Washington will help achieve those goals on behalf of the Government of South Africa, which seeks to " increase the efficiency and safety of air traffic movements at the Cape Town, King Shaka (Durban), and O.R. Tambo (Johannesburg) international airports."

According to a solicitation (#2012-11001A) located through a routine search of the FedBizOpps database, the U.S. Trade & Development Agency (USTDA) will provide a $758,000 grant to the South African government and the Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) to pay for a feasibility study of the project.

USTDA justified the grant because "Over the past several years, demand for air traffic services in South Africa has continued to increase alongside increased levels of international trade and sustained economic growth." The study will help ACSA "to find ways to increase the efficiency of air traffic services at airports with limited terrain while continuing to maintain world-class safety standards."