The requirement to physically separate departing passengers and their baggage from arrivals, which was absent in the old design, has been incorporated in the refurbished terminal. The buttress features which flank the air‐side arrivals and departures access points also serve to protect the structure from any jet or prop-wash originating from aircraft maneuvering on the apron area, in close proximity to the buildings. The buttress design has also featured in the main entrance and the baggage collection buildings.

In order to facilitate the various security areas and processes a new secure departures wing was constructed. This wing contains a secure sterile area in which departing passengers are held prior to proceeding to embark on their flights. A refreshment centre providing refreshments and light snacks as well as additional ablutions including a paraplegic toilet are also provided in this structure.

The arrivals node, which is included within the new arrival wing, is used to manage the flow of arriving passengers. A key element of this facility is the ability to be able to hold the meeters and greeters element in particular the trackers and rangers from the private lodges meeting their guests prior to escorting them to their game vehicle for transfer to their lodges.

With up to 12 lodges (or Lodge groups) located in the vicinity of Skukuza, there are often between 9 and 12 vehicles with 24 staff members dropping off and meeting their guests at any one time, use of the arrivals node avoids congestion in the main terminal building/check‐in area. Once guests (or groups of guest) have been met they are escorted directly to their waiting vehicles with lodge staff assisting in baggage collection which is located outside the main terminal.

The main terminal building area, apart from housing check‐in accommodates a curio shop, car hire offices and the airline offices. Ablution facilities including a universal access toilet are located close to check-in.

An elevated deck has been constructed to the right of the terminal building this provides easy step on step off access from lodge 4×4 game drive vehicles it also provides an area on which large groups can be held and briefed prior to departing the airport a feature popular for large conference and incentive groups.