South African president Thabo Mbeki opened a new passenger terminal at Johannesburg International Airport on 27 August. The R259 million ($43 million) development makes the airport the largest and busiest on the African continent. It handles 10 million passengers annually. The Kobe municipal government in Japan has reached agreement with local fishermen on a major compensation package for the loss of fishing grounds as a result of construction on an airport for the city. Construction is due to start this month for an expected opening in 2005. Cost is expected to total ´300 billion ($2.7 billion). Flughafen Frankfurt Main (FAG), the Frankfurt airport company, has spun off its consultancy business into a subsidiary, Deutsche AeroConsult, to offer airport and aviation consulting services previously provided by FAG's Airconsult group. Japan's Overseas Economic Cooperation Fund is providing Sri Lanka with loans worth ´12,384 million ($114 million) to undertake much needed development of the country's Bandaranaike International Airport, near Colombo. The money will be primarily used to repair and expand the airport's passenger terminal, modernise air traffic control facilities and construct an air cargo terminal building. London City Airport has reported an August increase in passengers, up by 3%, and traffic, up by 22%, compared with figures for the same month last year.
Source: Flight International
