Cape Town - Travelling through any South African airport while wearing any form of headgear, from a doek (headscarf) to a baseball cap, will automatically mark you out to be stopped and patted down by security.
However, Airports Company South Africa (Acsa) chief executive Mpumi Mpofu said it was not profiling, but they were following international protocols.
Mpofu also used the opportunity to give an update on Acsa’s preparations for the summer peak period.
Referring to a weekend incident at OR Tambo International Airport in which a Capetonian Muslim woman alleged she was humiliated and profiled for being dressed in a hijab, Mpofu said the incident was unfortunate but denied it was Islamophobia.
“All passengers with headgear are automatically searched, as international procedural requirements to ensure the safety and security of all travellers.”
Mpofu said following the incident, Acsa met with the Muslim Judicial Council and United Ulama Council of South Africa to explain the checks were in line with international procedural requirements and did not amount to discrimination or targeting any specific group.
Acsa regional general manager Jabulani Khambule said they were all set for their busiest days, which were expected to be December 15 and January 6.
On these two days, Acsa sees the most departures and arrivals at its key hubs – OR Tambo, Cape Town International Airport (CTIA) and King Shaka International Airport.
Finance and Economic Opportunities MEC Mireille Wenger visited CTIA, where she met with some of the interns placed with the support of the Department of Economic Development and Tourism (Dedat) to assist with the ensuring the airport runs as smoothly as possible during what is expected to be a bumper summer tourism season.
Just more than 7 million two-way passengers have come through CTIA between January and November this year, which includes 1.62 million international and 5.39 million domestic two-way passengers.
New data from Statistics SA showed an increase in travel spend this year. The hotel accommodation income statistics for September 2022 showed the sector’s income levels made further progress post-lockdown recovery.
FNB Merchant Services chief executive Thokozani Dlamini said: “The total increase in travel spend is driven largely by the increase in airline travel with total spending up from R4 billion to R8bn in 2022 thus far.”
