Following the very successful start to the “sister airport agreement” signed by Munich Airport and Airports Company South Africa SOC LTD (ACSA) in October 2015, an expanded agreement was officially signed today (Wednesday, March 8, 2017) at the Bavarian Ministry of Finance, Regional Development and Home Affairs.
“I’m delighted that Munich Airport is not only a hub, serving 257 destinations worldwide, but can also contribute as a company to forging stronger global ties for Bavaria. With the intensified cooperation agreed here today, we have made the bridge connecting our airports even wider,” said Bavaria’s Minister for Finance and Home Affairs Dr Markus Söder, who also serves as the chairman of Munich Airport’s Supervisory Board.
Picking up on Dr. Söder’s high praise for the successful cooperation between the southern German hub and the South African airports, Munich Airport CEO Dr. Michael Kerkloh stressed the importance of global networks especially in the aviation industry: “Our ongoing interactions with our sister airports – now numbering six – in North America, Asia and Africa, helps us to maintain our high-quality standards and to keep on improving. Ultimately it is above all the passengers at Munich Airport who benefit.”
Under the existing cooperation, which covers a wide range of airport activities, from IT and security to real estate development, delegations have already exchanged visits in both directions. This has allowed experts in many different areas to exchange ideas and discuss their experiences in connection with airport operations and processes.
The addendum to the existing agreement now extends to the sister airports’ cooperation to new areas. For example, joint marketing activities will help to raise awareness of the partner airports in the respective countries. This will include exhibitions at the airports, mutual links between websites and joint appearances at events. Cooperation will also be intensified in the area of “parking at the airport”.
In that area, the South African partner is interested in product and service development, increased professionalism in business analysis and revenue management, and the possible introduction of new technologies. Another area for future cooperation is the dialogue with airport neighbours.
Header image caption: The agreement between the two sister airports was signed by Dr. Markus Söder, the chairman of the Munich Airport Supervisory Board, Dr. Michael Kerkloh, the President and CEO of Munich Airport, Mr. Roshan Morar, the acting chairman of the Supervisory Board of Airports Company South Africa SOC LTD, and Mr. Bonganu Maseko, the CEO of Airports Company South Africa SOC LTD.
