Acsa tender blocked

Airports company wanted to insource the provision of baggage services.

- Roy Cokayne

Airports Company South Africa (Acsa) has been interdicted from adjudicating a tender and awarding a contract valued at R3.15 billion for the purchase of a baggage system for all the country's airports as part of its plan to insource the provision of these services.

Judge Leicester Adams issued the interdict in the High Court in Johannesburg on Tuesday pending the determination of a review application instituted by Aviation Co-ordination Services (Pty) Ltd (ACS), the Airlines Association of Southern Africa (Aasa) and the Board of Airline Representatives of SA (Barsa) on 16 November last year.

In terms of the order, Acsa was:

Interdicted from taking any steps or any further steps to adjudicate a tender and award a contract/s for the purchase of hold baggage screening (HBS), a baggage reconciliation system (BRS) or baggage management system (BMS) equipment and/or services and implementing its decision taken on 18 May 2023 and confirmed on 8 September 2023 to insource the provision of HBS, BRS and BMS at its airports.

Directed to allow ACS to replace four Level 3 back-up HBS units with new back-up units at its OR Tambo and King Shaka international airports.

The SA Civil Aviation Authority (Sacaa) was also directed to approve the replacement of the back-up units within five days of the interim interdict order for the replacement of those units within 10 days of the order.

Acsa, Minister of Transport Barbara Creecy and Sacaa were ordered to pay the costs of the opposed urgent application.

In the 2023 review application, ACS, Aasa and Barsa applied for an order declaring unlawful the decision taken by Acsa on 18 May 2023, and confirmed on 8 September 2023, to insource the provision of HBS services provided by ACS at all Acsa airports.