Travellers flying in and out of Cape Town will soon – well, by 2027 – have the choice of a second air hub, as plans gather pace for the expansion of the Cape Winelands Airport.
The airport, first opened in 1943, is located on the outskirts of Durbanville – roughly halfway between the city centre and the scenic winelands – and has long been popular for both light aircraft and private aviation.
But over the next three years the airport is set to complete a remarkable R7-billion (£290-million) upgrade and expansion that will create a second commercial airport serving Cape Town and the Western Cape. Offering easy access to both the city, Winelands and West Coast, the new airport is set to serve a growing market for both domestic and international travellers.
At the heart of the expansion is an extension, realignment and widening of the airport runway to accommodate wide-body commercial jets offering domestic and regional connectivity direct to the Winelands.
The sector between Cape Town and Johannesburg is one of the world’s busiest air routes, and with rapid ‘semigration’ to the Western Cape the prospect of a convenient air link between the Winelands and Johannesburg is sure to generate plenty of buzz from business travellers, in particular.
On the ‘landside’ of the new airport, the revamped terminal precinct is set to be surrounded by vineyards, and will include a public plaza, a hotel, aviation museum, conference centre, wine tasting experience and an outdoor amphitheatre hosting up to 5000 people.
'We are thrilled to introduce this airport expansion to the Cape Winelands region,' said Deon Cloete, Managing Director of Cape Winelands Airport. 'This facility represents a commitment to providing world-class transportation options, promoting tourism, and stimulating economic growth in our beautiful region.'
The revamp will also up the airport’s sustainability street-cred, with solar energy and biogas used to power the facilities, alongside the use of state-of-the-art water recycling systems.
By 2050, the airport will process up to two million international tourists, and three million domestic travellers per year, accounting for around one-quarter of all air traffic into the region.
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