AWOS Replacement, Decommissioning and Maintenance

The Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) has issued a draft request for proposals (COR10931/2026/RFP) in two linked parts. The first is a 24-month design-and-build contract to design, supply, install, test and commission new Automated Weather Observation Systems (AWOS) at Cape Town International, Chief David Stuurman International (Port Elizabeth), George, Upington and Kimberley airports, and to decommission the existing systems once the replacements are fully operational. The second is a 60-month maintenance contract covering the AWOS at George, Upington and Kimberley. The Upington scope is the most fully specified in the documents and includes two meteorological stations on the runways, a cloud height sensor and ceilometer, visibility and runway visual range sensors, thunderstorm detection, wind, temperature, humidity, pressure, rain and solar radiation sensors, dual-redundant data processing units, workstations, UPS units with at least three hours' backup, a dedicated fibre optic network with real-time monitoring, and lightning protection and earthing to SANS standards. Works must comply with ICAO Annex 3, ICAO Annex 14, WMO technical regulations, and the requirements of SAWS, ATNS and SACAA. The existing system must stay operational until the replacement is proven, and the work takes place on a live operating runway under strict airside safety controls.

The maintenance contract requires preventive and corrective maintenance to OEM requirements and ACSA procedures, with a target system availability of 99.5%, a 24-hour response time, and a 2-hour closure duration for breakdowns. Contractors must maintain a committed minimum staffing schedule, a spares inventory and spares room, a root cause analysis process, monthly reporting, and a computerised maintenance management system. Low service damages apply for missed service levels, and persistent failures can lead to termination. Pricing follows a priced activity schedule covering contract overheads, preventive maintenance, call-outs, labour rates, and spares billed at cost plus a mark-up, with a 6% escalation from year two. The defects liability period for repairs is 90 days, and the Employer's estimate of contract value is illustrative only, with no guaranteed spend.

Key commercial conditions include a mandatory subcontracting arrangement with Targeted Enterprises for at least 30% of contract value, with monthly transformation reporting and penalties for non-compliance. Bidders must hold a valid CSD registration, provide a compliant B-BBEE certificate and tax clearance annually, carry aviation liability insurance of at least R300,000, and provide a performance bond of 10% of contract value under the ECC design-and-build contract. Key personnel must include a project manager, an ECSA-registered lead engineer with AWOS or similar navigational aid experience, and qualified installation technicians. All personnel require airside induction and permits, and criminal record checks apply. Because ACSA airports are National Key Points, security and safety compliance is strict. The tender includes handover of as-built drawings, CMMS asset data, FMEA reports, operator and maintenance training, and certificates of compliance.