OR Tambo revamps security

OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg is undergoing a major security and infrastructure upgrade as the country prepares to host the football World Cup in June-July 2010.

A total of ZAR13.4 billion (USD1.7 billion) has been allocated to OR Tambo by operator Airports Company of South Africa, with infrastructure worth ZAR5 billion due for completion before the tournament begins.

Most significant is a new four-storey central terminal building, which provides a seamless link between the current international and domestic terminals.

The terminal will house 75 new check-in counters, immigration checkpoints, an arrivals area and baggage-reclaim area designed with the A380 in mind. The first phase of this project was finished in September 2008 and it is scheduled to be completed in its entirety by the end of 2009.