Assessing the transition of the Durban International Airport to King Shaka International Airport: implications for the establishment of an airport city.

Abstract

The reason for the transition of airports from one area to another is to create either a positive impact on economic growth or a negative impact on stimulation of economic activities. The transition of the Durban International Airport to King Shaka International Airport (development as airport city/ aerotropolis) was a plan that was facilitated by KwaZulu-Natal democratic government. The purpose of this transition was to facilitate the growth of economic development in a province which is faced with poverty, unemployment and inequality (Robins et al, 2011). Airlines that were operating at the Durban International Airport were those airlines with short haul but the long haul could not be accommodated by the airport due to the short runway and there was no space to develop the airport further (Van Turenhout, 2012).The study aims to assess the transition of the Durban International Airport to the King Shaka International Airport: Implications of the airport city/aerotropolis. The study will gather the information which underlines the importance of the transition; the impact of the development of the airport city/aerotropolis and the role it played in economic development of the province. Data was collected through face to face interviews with the stakeholders that were and still are involved in the transition of the Durban International Airport to the King Shaka International airport and development of the airport city/aerotropolis. The results show that the transition has benefited the province by growing the economy of the province and the creation of Special Economic Zones (SEZ’s) which are accommodating different forms of industry (DTP Annual Report, 2017/18). The results will assist in the development of the body of knowledge and there is a huge possibility for further development of the study in the areas of SEZ’s.