Cape Town International Airport
Encyclopedia
Cape Town International Airport is the primary airport
serving the city of Cape Town
, and is the second busiest airport in South Africa and third busiest in Africa. Located approximately 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) from the city centre, the airport was opened in 1954 to replace Cape Town's previous airport in the suburb of Wingfield. Cape Town International Airport is the only airport in the Cape Town metropolitan area
that offers scheduled passenger services.
The airport has direct flight
s from South Africa's other two main urban areas, Johannesburg
and Durban
, as well as flights to smaller centres in South Africa. Internationally, it has direct flights to several destinations in Africa
, Asia
, Europe
and South America
. The air route between Cape Town and Johannesburg was the world's fifth busiest air route in 2007 as well as the busiest in Africa, with the air route between Cape Town and Durban being the fifth busiest in Africa.
In 2009, Cape Town International Airport received the Skytrax
award for the best airport in Africa. The airport has domestic and international terminals, linked by a common central terminal.
opened. The airport replaced Cape Town's previous airport, located at Wingfield. Originally called D.F. Malan Airport after the then South African prime minister
, it initially offered two international flights: a direct flight to Britain
and a second flight to Britain via Johannesburg
.
With the fall of apartheid in the early 1990s, ownership of the airport was transferred from the state to the newly-formed Airports Company South Africa
, and the airport was renamed to the politically-neutral Cape Town International Airport. The first years of the twenty-first century saw tremendous growth at the airport; from handling 6.2 million passengers per annum in 2004-05, the airport peaked at 8.4 million passengers per annum in 2007-08 before falling back to 7.8 million in 2008-09.
In preparation for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
, Cape Town International Airport was extensively expanded and renovated. The main focus was the development of a Central Terminal Building at a cost of R1.6 billion, which linked the formerly separate domestic and international terminals and provided a common check-in area. The departures level of the Central Terminal opened in November 2009, with the entire building opened in April 2010.
The terminal contains 10 air bridges, evenly split between domestic and international usage. Sections of lower levels of the domestic and international terminals are used for transporting passengers via bus to and from remotely-parked aircraft.
Arriving passengers collect luggage in the old sections of their respective terminals, before proceeding through new passageways to the new Central Terminal Building. The terminal contains an automated baggage handling system, capable of handling 30,000 bags per hour.
Retail outlets are located on the lower (arrivals) level of the terminal at landside, as well as airside at the departure gates. Retail outlets are diverse, including foreign exchange services, bookstores, clothing retailers, grocery stores, souvenir outlets and duty-free in international departures. Restaurants within the terminal building are located on the upper (3rd) level above the departures level, which includes what is purported to be the largest Spur restaurant on the African continent, at 1080 m² (11,625 sq ft). The restaurant level overlooks the airside of the terminal, where a glass curtain wall
separates the patrons from the planes 3 storeys below.
In 2009, Cape Town International Airport was the recipient of the Skytrax
"Best Airport in Africa" award, coming ahead of Durban International Airport
and OR Tambo International Airport.
and ahead of King Shaka International Airport
in
Durban
.
freeway via the M12, M10 and M22.
The airport provides approximately 1,424 parking bays in the general parking area, and 1,748 parking bays in the multi-storey parkade located near the domestic terminal. A new parkade, which is located near the international terminal, and provides an additional 4,000 bays , was opened in 2010. The airport also offers a valet parking service.
bus rapid transit
system provides a shuttle service connecting the airport with the Civic Centre
bus station in the city centre. Buses depart every 20 minutes from 04:20 to 22:00. Transport to and from the airport is also provided by metered taxis and various private shuttle companies.
s and is also disseminated by means of NOTAM
s (NOtices To AirMen) and other publications.
All information is sourced from the South African Civil Aviation Authority
.
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
serving the city of Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, and is the second busiest airport in South Africa and third busiest in Africa. Located approximately 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) from the city centre, the airport was opened in 1954 to replace Cape Town's previous airport in the suburb of Wingfield. Cape Town International Airport is the only airport in the Cape Town metropolitan area
City of Cape Town
The City of Cape Town is the metropolitan municipality which governs the city of Cape Town, South Africa and its suburbs and exurbs. As of 2007, it had a population of 3,497,097....
that offers scheduled passenger services.
The airport has direct flight
Direct flight
A direct flight in the aviation industry is any flight between two points by an airline with no change in flight numbers, which may include a stop over at an intermediate point. The stop over may either be to get new passengers or a mere technical stop over...
s from South Africa's other two main urban areas, Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
and Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
, as well as flights to smaller centres in South Africa. Internationally, it has direct flights to several destinations in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. The air route between Cape Town and Johannesburg was the world's fifth busiest air route in 2007 as well as the busiest in Africa, with the air route between Cape Town and Durban being the fifth busiest in Africa.
In 2009, Cape Town International Airport received the Skytrax
Skytrax
Skytrax is a United Kingdom-based consultancy, the public face of Inflight Research Services, which has the largest airline and airport review and ranking site. It conducts research for commercial airlines...
award for the best airport in Africa. The airport has domestic and international terminals, linked by a common central terminal.
History
Cape Town International Airport was opened in 1954, a year after Jan Smuts Airport (now OR Tambo International Airport) on the WitwatersrandWitwatersrand
The Witwatersrand is a low, sedimentary range of hills, at an elevation of 1700–1800 metres above sea-level, which runs in an east-west direction through Gauteng in South Africa. The word in Afrikaans means "the ridge of white waters". Geologically it is complex, but the principal formations...
opened. The airport replaced Cape Town's previous airport, located at Wingfield. Originally called D.F. Malan Airport after the then South African prime minister
Daniel François Malan
Daniel François Malan , more commonly known as D.F. Malan, was the Prime Minister of South Africa from 1948 to 1954. He is seen as a champion of Afrikaner nationalism. His National Party government came to power on the program of apartheid and began its comprehensive implementation.- Biography...
, it initially offered two international flights: a direct flight to Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and a second flight to Britain via Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
.
With the fall of apartheid in the early 1990s, ownership of the airport was transferred from the state to the newly-formed Airports Company South Africa
Airports Company South Africa
Airports Company of South Africa Limited operates ten of South Africa’s airports. Its head office is in The Maples Office Park in Bedfordview, Ekurhuleni.-History:...
, and the airport was renamed to the politically-neutral Cape Town International Airport. The first years of the twenty-first century saw tremendous growth at the airport; from handling 6.2 million passengers per annum in 2004-05, the airport peaked at 8.4 million passengers per annum in 2007-08 before falling back to 7.8 million in 2008-09.
In preparation for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
, Cape Town International Airport was extensively expanded and renovated. The main focus was the development of a Central Terminal Building at a cost of R1.6 billion, which linked the formerly separate domestic and international terminals and provided a common check-in area. The departures level of the Central Terminal opened in November 2009, with the entire building opened in April 2010.
Future development
Apart from completion of the 2010 expansion project, it has been proposed that a second runway for large aircraft be constructed at Cape Town International Airport. An expected date for construction of the second runway has yet to be determined.Terminal information
The terminal building has a split-level design, with departures located in the upper floors and arrivals in the lower floors; an elevated roadway system provides vehicular access to both departures and arrivals levels. All check-in takes place within the Central Terminal Building, which contains 120 check-in desks and 20 self-service kiosks. Passengers then pass through a consolidated security screening area before dividing, with international passengers heading north towards the international terminal (which contains immigration facilities), and domestic passengers heading south towards the domestic terminal.The terminal contains 10 air bridges, evenly split between domestic and international usage. Sections of lower levels of the domestic and international terminals are used for transporting passengers via bus to and from remotely-parked aircraft.
Arriving passengers collect luggage in the old sections of their respective terminals, before proceeding through new passageways to the new Central Terminal Building. The terminal contains an automated baggage handling system, capable of handling 30,000 bags per hour.
Retail outlets are located on the lower (arrivals) level of the terminal at landside, as well as airside at the departure gates. Retail outlets are diverse, including foreign exchange services, bookstores, clothing retailers, grocery stores, souvenir outlets and duty-free in international departures. Restaurants within the terminal building are located on the upper (3rd) level above the departures level, which includes what is purported to be the largest Spur restaurant on the African continent, at 1080 m² (11,625 sq ft). The restaurant level overlooks the airside of the terminal, where a glass curtain wall
Curtain wall
A curtain wall is an outer covering of a building in which the outer walls are non-structural, but merely keep out the weather. As the curtain wall is non-structural it can be made of a lightweight material reducing construction costs. When glass is used as the curtain wall, a great advantage is...
separates the patrons from the planes 3 storeys below.
In 2009, Cape Town International Airport was the recipient of the Skytrax
Skytrax
Skytrax is a United Kingdom-based consultancy, the public face of Inflight Research Services, which has the largest airline and airport review and ranking site. It conducts research for commercial airlines...
"Best Airport in Africa" award, coming ahead of Durban International Airport
Durban International Airport
Durban International Airport was the international airport of Durban from 1951 until 2010, when it was replaced by King Shaka International Airport, to the north. The airport is co-located with AFB Durban.-History:...
and OR Tambo International Airport.
Airlines and destinations
The following airlines operate scheduled flights to Cape Town International Airport:Other facilities
The only hotel located within the airport precinct is the budget Road Lodge, owned by the City Lodge hotel chain group. An ExecuJet facility is located near the southern end of the main runway, and caters for business jets.Traffic and statistics
Cape Town International Airport recorded 7.8 million passengers in 2008-2009, down from 8.4 million passengers the year before. Of those passengers, 1.4 million were international and 6.3 million domestic, with the remainder being classified as "regional" or "unscheduled". 95,643 aircraft traffic movements were recorded; the majority being domestic services. The statistics firmly entrench Cape Town International Airport as being the second busiest airport in South Africa, behind OR Tambo International Airport in JohannesburgJohannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
and ahead of King Shaka International Airport
King Shaka International Airport
King Shaka International Airport, also known as La Mercy Airport and abbreviated as KSIA, is the primary airport serving Durban, South Africa. Located at La Mercy, approximately north of the city centre of Durban, it opened its doors to passengers on May 1, 2010, just over a month before the...
in
Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
.
| Year | International | Regional | Domestic | Unscheduled | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passenger movements | % Change | Passenger movements | % Change | Passenger movements | % Change | Passenger movements | % Change | Passenger movements | % Change | |
| 2004-05 | 1,176,958 | no data | 126,837 | no data | 4,895,048 | no data | 16,060 | no data | 6,214,903 | no data |
| 2005-06 | 1,167,661 | 0.8% | 149,489 | 17.9% | 5,503,690 | 12.4% | 13,333 | 17.0% | 6,834,173 | 10.0% |
| 2006-07 | 1,246,016 | 6.7% | 147,885 | 1.1% | 6,107,405 | 11.0% | 17,237 | 29.3% | 7,518,543 | 10.0% |
| 2007-08 | 1,309,822 | 5.1% | 145,858 | 1.4% | 6,950,061 | 13.8% | 20,877 | 21.1% | 8,426,618 | 12.1% |
| 2008-09 | 1,378,160 | 5.2% | 138,000 | 5.4% | 6,283,132 | 9.6% | 13,878 | 33.5% | 7,813,170 | 7.3% |
| 2009-10 | 1,284,990 | 6.8% | 122,584 | 11.2% | 6,391,079 | 1.7% | 11,416 | 17.7% | 7,810,069 | 0.0% |
| 2010-11 | 1,261,024 | 1.9% | 122,609 | 0.0% | 6,781,143 | 6.1% | 35,771 | 213.3% | 8,200,547 | 5.0% |
| Year | International | Regional | Domestic | Unscheduled | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aircraft movements | % Change | Aircraft movements | % Change | Aircraft movements | % Change | Aircraft movements | % Change | Aircraft movements | % Change | |
| 2004-05 | 4,355 | no data | 4,242 | no data | 56,810 | no data | 27,154 | no data | 92,561 | no data |
| 2005-06 | 4,296 | 1.4% | 4,169 | 1.7% | 58,099 | 2.3% | 22,326 | 17.8% | 88,890 | 4.0% |
| 2006-07 | 4,623 | 7.6% | 3,698 | 11.3% | 60,470 | 4.1% | 22,602 | 1.2% | 91,393 | 2.8% |
| 2007-08 | 5,019 | 8.6% | 3,420 | 7.5% | 69,819 | 15.5% | 24,027 | 6.3% | 102,285 | 11.9% |
| 2008-09 | 5,638 | 12.3% | 3,340 | 2.3% | 65,623 | 6.0% | 21,042 | 12.4% | 95,643 | 6.5% |
| 2009-10 | 4,884 | 13.4% | 3,296 | 1.3% | 65,020 | 0.9% | 19,379 | 7.9% | 92,579 | 3.2% |
| 2010-11 | 4,868 | 0.3% | 3,137 | 4.8% | 66,587 | 2.4% | 19,031 | 1.8% | 93,623 | 1.1% |
Car
Cape Town International Airport is approximately 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) from the city centre and is accessible from the N2 freeway, with Airport Approach Road providing a direct link between the N2 (at exit 16) and the airport. The airport can also be indirectly accessed from the R300R300 (Western Cape)
The R300 or Kuils River Freeway is a Regional Route in Cape Town, South Africa that connects Mitchells Plain with the N2, Kuils River, and the N1 at Bellville...
freeway via the M12, M10 and M22.
The airport provides approximately 1,424 parking bays in the general parking area, and 1,748 parking bays in the multi-storey parkade located near the domestic terminal. A new parkade, which is located near the international terminal, and provides an additional 4,000 bays , was opened in 2010. The airport also offers a valet parking service.
Public transport
The MyCiTiMyCiTi
MyCiTi is a bus rapid transit system currently under development in Cape Town, South Africa. Its first full phase opened in May 2011, providing an express bus connection between Table View, Milnerton and central Cape Town, as well as several feeder services....
bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems using buses to provide faster, more efficient service than an ordinary bus line. Often this is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling...
system provides a shuttle service connecting the airport with the Civic Centre
Cape Town Civic Centre
The Cape Town Civic Centre is a building in central Cape Town, South Africa that serves as the headquarters of the City of Cape Town, the municipality that governs Cape Town and its suburbs....
bus station in the city centre. Buses depart every 20 minutes from 04:20 to 22:00. Transport to and from the airport is also provided by metered taxis and various private shuttle companies.
Rail link
There is no direct rail access to Cape Town International Airport. The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa has proposed a 4 km (2.5 mi) rail link between the airport and Cape Town's existing suburban rail network; construction is expected to start in 2013.Accidents and incidents
- On 26 May 1971, three South African Air ForceSouth African Air ForceThe South African Air Force is the air force of South Africa, with headquarters in Pretoria. It is the world's second oldest independent air force, and its motto is Per Aspera Ad Astra...
Hawker-Siddeley HS125British Aerospace BAe 125The British Aerospace 125 is a twin-engined mid-size corporate jet, with newer variants now marketed as the Hawker 800. It was known as the Hawker Siddeley HS.125 until 1977...
aircraft, practising for a fly past for an upcoming air show at the airport, crashed into Devil's PeakDevil's Peak (Cape Town)Devil's Peak is part of the mountainous backdrop to Cape Town. When looking at Table Mountain from the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, or when looking at the standard picture postcard view of the mountain, the skyline is from left to right: the spire of Devil's Peak, the flat mesa of Table Mountain,...
just west of the airfield. The aircraft were destroyed and all 11 crew were killed. - On 5 June 1983 a Cessna 402BCessna 402The Cessna 401 and 402 are series of 6 to 10 place, light twin, piston engine aircraft. This line was manufactured by Cessna from 1966 to 1985 under the name Utiliner and Businessliner...
, tail number ZS-KVG, crashed shortly after take-off in inclement weather. Seven out of the nine on board were killed. It transpired that the pilot did not have an instrument rating and had falsified his logbook in order to hire the aircraft. - On 7 November 2007, a Boeing 737-230Boeing 737The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
, ZS-OEZ, operated by Nationwide AirlinesNationwide AirlinesNationwide Airlines was an airline based in Lanseria, South Africa. It operated scheduled domestic and international services. Its main base was OR Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg....
suffered complete separation of the right (starboard) engine at take-off. The take-off was continued and the crew successfully landed the aircraft without injury or loss of life. The aircraft had 106 passengers on board.
Aeronautical information
The following is an example of information required by aircrew to operate at this airport. Such information is usually found on approach plateApproach plate
Approach Plates is a common term used to describe the printed procedures or charts, more formally Instrument Approach Procedures, that pilots use to fly approaches during Instrument Flight Rules operations. Each country maintains their own instrument approach procedures according to International...
s and is also disseminated by means of NOTAM
NOTAM
NOTAM or NoTAM is the quasi-acronym for a "Notice To Airmen". NOTAMs are created and transmitted by government agencies and airport operators under guidelines specified by Annex 15: Aeronautical Information Services of the Convention on International Civil Aviation...
s (NOtices To AirMen) and other publications.
All information is sourced from the South African Civil Aviation Authority
South African Civil Aviation Authority
The South African Civil Aviation Authority is the South African national aviation authority, overseeing civil aviation and governing investigations of aviation accidents and incidents. It is headquartered in the Midrand community of Johannesburg.-External links:* *...
.
Navigational Aids
| Type | Identification | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| NDB | CB | 462.5 |
| VOR VHF omnidirectional range VOR, short for VHF omnidirectional radio range, is a type of radio navigation system for aircraft. A VOR ground station broadcasts a VHF radio composite signal including the station's identifier, voice , and navigation signal. The identifier is typically a two- or three-letter string in Morse code... /DME Distance Measuring Equipment Distance measuring equipment is a transponder-based radio navigation technology that measures distance by timing the propagation delay of VHF or UHF radio signals.... |
CTV | 115.7 |
| ILS LOC Instrument Landing System An instrument landing system is a ground-based instrument approach system that provides precision guidance to an aircraft approaching and landing on a runway, using a combination of radio signals and, in many cases, high-intensity lighting arrays to enable a safe landing during instrument... RWY 01 |
CTI | 110.3 |
| ILS LOC Instrument Landing System An instrument landing system is a ground-based instrument approach system that provides precision guidance to an aircraft approaching and landing on a runway, using a combination of radio signals and, in many cases, high-intensity lighting arrays to enable a safe landing during instrument... RWY 19 |
KNI | 109.1 |
Communication
- Communication Frequencies
- Cape Town Apron 122.65 MHz
- Clearance Delivery 122.10 MHz
- Surface Movement Control 121.90 MHz
- Cape Town Tower 118.10 MHz
- Cape Town Approach 120.050 MHz
- Automatic Terminal Information ServiceAutomatic Terminal Information ServiceAutomatic Terminal Information Service, or ATIS, is a continuous broadcast of recorded noncontrol information in busier terminal areas. ATIS broadcasts contain essential information, such as weather information, which runways are active, available approaches, and any other information required by...
- 127.00 MHz