Durban - King Shaka International Airport has set new benchmarks as far as global infrastructure is concerned and has borne testimony of the country's capability to deliver such projects, President Jacob Zuma has said.

Speaking at the official opening of the airport in La Mercy, north of Durban, Zuma said the country is setting new global standards in the delivery of large scale infrastructure projects.

"Not only was the construction of the project completed in the record time of three years, it also involved the relocation of both the cargo and passenger businesses, from the old airport to these new facilities, in one overnight operational switch.

"This smooth, seamless transition must surely bear testimony once again to the skills and capability we have as a country," said Zuma.

In less than 32 days, the world will converge on South Africa and the country will experience its largest waves of aviation traffic in its history when the 2010 FIFA World Cup kicks-off.

"We welcome the fact that the airport is going to be a critical diversion facility for OR Tambo International should this be necessary.

"We are also thrilled by the fact that we are able to present the World Cup in South Africa that is going through a huge building and reconstruction phase. Our infrastructure investment programme is doing wonders for the country economically and socially," he said.

The new airport will be able to process 7.5 million passengers per annum and in addition will alleviate the pressure on the Durban-Johannesburg route by facilitating more than 50 000 tons of manufactured goods produced in the region directly from the local airport.

Zuma also called on provincial and local government to encourage new investments in tourism. These tourism packages, said Zuma, should be competitively priced and attractive for foreign visitors, adding that the World Cup offers the country the best opportunity to welcome foreign visitors and ensure that they come back to enjoy what the country has to offer.

"There has never been any doubt in my mind that this airport was the missing piece of the puzzle to enable growth and development in this region and for our country," he said. -BuaNews