Drug bust: OR Tambo Airport lauds security and cleaning staff members

November 30,2017: South Africa’s OR Tambo International Airport will officially recognise six security officers and one cleaning staff member for their role in drug bust case. These staff members played crucial role in a drug bust operation that took place at Africa’s busiest airport earlier this month.

Bongiwe Pityi , general manager of OR Tambo International Airport, and Martin Louw, operations director, Comair, were at the airport to meet the three colleagues who were heading to attend the King Shaka International Airport premier stakeholder awards event, taking place in Durban.

Four of the seven colleagues were earlier flown to Cape Town to participate in and experience Cape Town International Airport’s premier stakeholder awards.

In recognition of the drug bust success all seven colleagues will receive their awards at the OR Tambo International Airport edition of Airports Company South Africa’s annual stakeholder awards event on Friday.

Each of Airports Company South Africa’s nine airports honours industry players, airlines and aviation service providers at these premier stakeholder awards.

Speaking to the staffs before their departure, Pityi commended them for the ethos that underpins their work: excellence that is not a once-off activity but a continuous striving for a safe and secure airport.

Pityi continues “I should also note that as we recognise these men and women for their role in securing our airport we have started to see positive impacts from the work of a joint operations committee that brings together Airport Management, the South African Police Service (SAPS) and other law enforcement agencies, local government, airport security contractors and other suppliers.In addition to tangible changes, we are also seeing further lifting of morale among all airport staff as they see the benefits of the intensified security strategy flow through.

“While the SAPS has the responsibility for airport security, all of the other stakeholders are providing essential contributions to supporting the efforts of the police. In addition to the breakthroughs made by the SAPS into airport-related crime, a variety of behind-the-scenes measures are combining to further strengthen the security situation at the airport,” said Pityi.

Due to the nature of their work, OR Tambo International Airport has decided not to name the seven personnel.