Cape Town International Airport will no longer announce passenger boarding calls for both domestic and international flights.
Passengers will no longer hear a jingle followed by a voice telling you when to board your flight at the check-in and boarding gate areas.
In a media statement, the airport announced that microphones at the domestic departure gates will be turned off from March 1, 2018 while the international section will see “limited boarding calls”.
The only time the voice will be heard is during irregular operations including: flight time changes, gate changes, system failures, security matters and customer service anomalies.
Passengers are expected to keep up to date with their flight and boarding times by making use of the flight information display boards scattered around the airport as well as their boarding passes.
Spokesperson for the airport, Deidre Davids said the reasoning behind their new policy is due to noise complaints. “As Cape Town International Airport we have noted the feedback from passengers in independent customer surveys citing complaints about noise levels in airports.”
Davids added that their new policy will ensure that passengers are more “self-sufficient” when travelling. “In keeping with global trends and the aviation’s move toward passengers being increasingly self-sufficient we are adopting the global trend of silent airports.”
“The obvious benefit of a silent airport is reduced noise, which has been an issue of contention for our passengers. This means that the public-address microphones at the domestic and international departures terminal and gates will be switched off, with limited announcements at gates for international passengers. Passengers will be advised to check their boarding passes and the flight information display boards for boarding times, gates and any other changes.”
“As an airport operating in one of South Africa’s preferred tourist destinations and one of Africa’s busiest airports, we remain focused on providing the best passenger experience for our customers and we are hopeful that this new regulation will improve the domestic traveller experience.”
Domestic flight travellers are required to board 30 minutes before the departure time, whilst those flying international are expected to board an hour ahead.
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