The North Pier development project at O.R. Tambo International Airport (ORTIA) is the first fully capable A380 docking and disembarking facility in South Africa. This development not only increases the ability to handle passenger volume at ORTIA, but also installs the capability to dock four high-capacity Airbus A380 aircraft. The scope comprises of twelve direct boarding gates within the Pier and twelve remote stand gates accommodated within a new bus terminal. Extensions on the project included the addition of twenty-five shops as well as five airline lounges.

An early collaborative approach was the key to success in this development, which required our expertise both in anticipating the airport’s vision – even during the early conceptual stages of the project – and by being cognizant of the anticipated cost set by the client body.

Our specifications and procurement experts worked in close co-operation to match the strict requirements of Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) and to hone in on exact performance criteria at the best possible open-tender prices.

Although airport piers are often hard to visualize before being realized, we were able to identify areas during the construction and building phases to be enhanced and changed during the course of the development. These alterations were implemented by our team and project managers without negative impacts to the project’s cost, time or performance – even despite the upgrades requiring rapid specification and material replacements.