RAND AIRPORT SUPPLEMENT
Guy Leitch
RAND AIRPORT IN TURMOIL
It is a tragedy for general aviation that Rand Airport is currently in a state of upheaval, if not outright war. The airport has been through three General Managers in three years and there is ‘lawfare’ between factions of the board members.
In 2022, after six years on the job, the then Rand Airport General Manager Stuart Coetzee departed under a cloud of accusations of malfeasance and mismanagement amounting a claimed R8 million.
Coetzee was replaced with Kevin van Zyl who was soon thereafter replaced with Johnny Walker, who left earlier this year. The current ‘Caretaker’ General Manager is Hennie Delport, who has been central to the management and control of Rand for the past twenty four years.
users claim that key accounts are unpaid, for example, that ATNS is owed R2.5m. A further claim is that there are no capable human resources left or funds available to stage the usually very successful Rand Airshow. Delport does however deny that the ATNS account is in arrears but he does say that there is a dispute with ATNS about their using the airport for ATC training. Regarding the airshow – Delport strongly disputes that the problem is a shortage of funds as the Airport has a R6m reserve in the bank.
endorsement
of
the
value of being at Rand
The accusations of malfeasance and vested interests flying around at the time of Coetzee’s departure caused a massive rift in the Airport’s Operators and Holding Boards. And that rift continues today with ongoing litigation between Directors, that has been escalated all the way to the Supreme Court of Appeals. A number of sources claim that millions have been spent on legal fees in the fight over control of the airport.
As a result of the infighting, the airport’s management is in crisis. Other than the turnover of three General Managers within a year, some
Further he says a decision has been made to only hold the air show every second year as it becomes too much of the same thing. A date is currently being finalised for 2025.
A further indication of conflict at the airport is that it is claimed that an attempt was made to evict three tenants who had objected to the way the airport was being managed. However the tenants fought back and so far have stood their ground, which must be an endorsement of the value of being at Rand. Delport says that at the reason one of the tenants is facing eviction is only because their account is in arrears.
When the airport was sold off by the Johannesburg City Council in 2000, a specific condition of the sale was that it had to remain an airport, at least until 2020. This means that the way is now open to sell it off for warehousing.
The Land Issue
The conflict amongst the Directors reportedly revolves around the sale of large chunks of the airport’s land – which has become increasingly valuable. Hennie Delport says that just one developer is investing R1.5 billion in this development.
he runway was shortened by 400
metres
have been leased. Runway 29 is the longest and thus most important runway, however plans were approved for the construction of warehousing which encroached upon the sterile approach cone to Runway 29. In a very public debacle, which Delport says revolved around a misunderstanding with the CAA, the effective length of the runway was shortened by 400 metres, effectively stopping almost all biz-jet operators from using the airport. After heated exchanges, the CAA was prevailed upon to put a stop to the development and the threshold was returned to the beginning of the runway.
All nine stands amounting to 27 Ha on the eastern side which were sub-divided and proclaimed around the threshold of Runway 29
The conflict amongst the Directors led to a flurry of accusations and counterclaims. Amongst others – that the land is being leased cheaply to intermediate companies – who will then make obscene profits. The amount involved
Rand Airport's iconic Art Deco terminal building.
Rand Airport has been downgraded to a category 2a airport in terms of firefighting.
A recent Google Earth image of Rand Airport showing the new development south-east of the threshold of Runway 29.
is not chump change. There is 147 Ha of land available which is worth billions. Yet some claim it is being sold off or leased for a third of its actual value. This naturally leads to accusations of ‘Airport Capture’ in the same way that the Guptas engaged in ‘State Capture’ with the South African government’s Zuma administration.
The Rand Airport Holding Company is part owned by the Mayondi BBBEE consortium and the Ekurhuleni Town Council, who have minority seats on the board. Whether the usual suspects in government are involved in the conflict is unknown, as the visible infighting is between the private sector hangar owners.
a few supporting businesses such as AMOs and helicopter flight schools. This would be an enormous loss for general aviation and would set back the plans for Rand being part of the greater OR Tambo Aerotropolis.
an incalculable loss to aviation
Given the demand for land around the airport, it has been suggested that there is a strong motivation to reduce the airport to a heliport and
If Rand became a Heliport, large businesses such as Pilatus would be forced to move off the airport – as would the many flight schools and support services, plus the specialist engineering shops which have had a long history at Rand. As many of the specialist engineering business are owner-run and are already under pressure from the burden of CAA compliance, it is reasonable to conclude that many owners would probably close their business rather than move them to say Lanseria. This would be an incalculable loss to aviation in South Africa.
Held on a Sunday, the Rand Airshow is a great outing for the whole family to enjoy flying.
International plane spotters make pilgrimages to Rand Airport's Historic Society compound. Pic Stauffenberg.
However, it must be noted that Hennie Delport and other views consulted in the formulation of this review believe the Heliport suggestion is absurd. And indeed the key protagonists operate large fixed wing aircraft which require all the available runway.
It is therefore argued that the disposal of land will raise the funds required to both lengthen and widen the runway and thus make it more attractive to large fixed wing operators
The next step is a Shareholders’ Meeting which has been called for 14 October. At this meeting it is hoped that some of the key concerns can be disposed of without further ruinous litigation.
Hennie Delport says that he would like to retire to the coast by the middle of 2025. However, he has invested so much of his life into Rand that he says his retirement will be subject to two preconditions: First that an acceptable Airport Manager have been appointed. Second, that there be a safe handover of the property development functions to secure the financial future of the airport.
The Resolution
At time of writing the key issues relating to control of the airport are still being litigated, with the airport shareholders having to carry the burden of the legal fees. This is reminiscent of the South African taxpayer having to shoulder the enormous legal fees that Jacob Zuma’s ‘lawfare’ Stalingrad strategy cost the taxpayer.
If there is a moral to the story – perhaps it is that pilots and engineers should not attempt to run airports. It would be in everybody’s interests if A-type personalities were put aside and grownups were left to get on with the business of the airport. j
RAND AIRPORT HISTORY
Rand Airport is like a classy old dowager. In its almost ninety years the airport has seen grand times and great moments.
THE SAA MUSEUM SOCIETY provides an invaluable description of the incredible early days of the airport:
Rand Airport was originally constructed in the 1930s when it consisted of just a grass-covered field and a hangar.
In 1929, when Imperial Airways made it known that they intended to organise a service to South Africa, the energy and vision of the Municipality of Germiston (afterwards backed up by the Johannesburg Civic Authorities) laid the foundation of what would eventually become Rand Airport.
It was a bit of a free for all until the Transport Commission brought some kind of order. On 21 December 1931 the first Imperial Airways flight arrived from London and the airport was officially opened by the Governor General, the Earl of Clarendon.
In 1931 the various governments concluded arrangements with Imperial Airways to run a service from London to the Cape. The Germiston Municipality was officially approached by the Union Government to provide an adequate airport capable of handling day and night traffic and of housing aircraft larger than any previously used in South Africa. As a result of the negotiations the Germiston Town Council voted £65,000 for the conversion of the old aerodrome into a properly equipped airport, and work started at once.
One large and one small hangar, as well as an administrative office building and workshop for Imperial Airways, were constructed. A complete floodlighting system was installed and a number of cottages built for the staff of Imperial Airways. Also erected were wireless masts for communication with the Imperial Airways aircraft.
The Governor-General, the Earl of Clarendon, officially opened Rand Airport in December 1931. Over 2,500 people drove, rode or walked to the aerodrome to attend the opening. The following day, 20 December 1931, the first Imperial Airways airmail flight from London arrived at Rand.
Growth was quick. As a result of increased activity at Rand a decision was made to improve facilities and a new ‘air station’ was built to provide control of the movements of aircraft from a properly equipped control tower, and to
The Terminal building in ealry days - before the control tower was added. DRISA archive.
cater for the comfort of passengers by means of waiting rooms, a baggage hall, customs office and restaurant. Until the time of the erection of the air station, the passengers’ baggage was dumped on the ground and sorted in the open while friends meeting air travellers were obliged to stand about in the open in all weathers for indefinite periods.
In addition, a clubhouse for the Rand Flying Club, a house for a resident Customs official and a meteorological station were erected. Previous to the building of the clubhouse, flying club members were accommodated in a small reed roofed shack which, owing to the rapid increase in membership, soon became too small for them.
For the second time the Governor-General opened the New Rand Airport, on Monday 5 August 1935. At the time it was considered that
sufficient development work had been done to last many years.
But inevitably it was not so. The introduction of the Empire airmail, the continually increasing activity of South African Airways and the greater interest in private flying necessitated further development.
Soon after the opening in 1935 seven more hangars were erected, a larger clubhouse built for the Rand Flying Club, the South African Airways administrative building was greatly enlarged and buildings, both temporary and permanent, provided for the fuel supply companies and flying schools operating from the airport.
Even this was not sufficient and in 1939 work began on constructing two further hangars, as well as extensions to existing hangars and
Rand Airport's original clock.
HISTORY
Rand Airport taken around 1934 - as the Ju52 on the apron was delivered in 1934.
alterations and additions to the air station. A mess for South African Airways staff, a wireless workshop and an engine workshop were also constructed.
The terminal building has remained virtually the same since it was built. The only noticeable change is the addition of a new control tower, which was added on top of the existing structure. A special feature of the 1935 terminal building was the flat roof, which to this day is open to the public and gives a fine view across the airport.
Before World War 2 the airport was owned jointly by the Germiston City Council, the Rand Gold Refinery and Elandsfontein Estates. It became the headquarters of South African Airways when its head office was moved from
Durban on 1 July 1935. After World War 2 SAA moved its headquarters to Palmietfontein Airport in 1948 due to runway length constraints. Nevertheless, Rand Airport still grew with vigour after the Second World War due to the pool of ex-air-force pilots.
Rand became the busiest airport in the southern hemisphere. However, during the 1980s, several corporate and charter operators moved to Lanseria Airport. The runway at Lanseria is considerably longer than those at Rand Airport, and the airport elevation is 1000 feet lower (4517’ as opposed to 5482’ at Rand Airport). In response to the exodus from Rand, its main runway, 29/11, was lengthened, but not to any large degree due to the geographical constraints of the site.
Rand Airport has much to offer historically - here people line up to see the DC-4.
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