The expansion of the existing Cape Winelands Airport into a second major airport for Cape Town is expected to create approximately 60 000 jobs.
Also read: Cape Winelands Airport unveils its transformation
The airport’s development reached a significant milestone in May, when owner Rsa.Aero announced a 15-year agreement with Germany’s Lufthansa Group.
The airport, formerly known as Fisantekraal Airport, was established more than 80 years ago in 1943 as a base for the South African Air Force.
It was transferred to private ownership in 1993 and served as a general aviation airport until 2020, when it was purchased by Rsa.Aero.
The expansion’s preliminary cost has been estimated at R7 billion, with the first phase scheduled for completion in 2027, according to News24.
According to the Cape Winelands Airport website, the expansion will include reorienting and extending one of its four runways to 3,500m to accommodate larger-bodied aircraft such as the Airbus 380, as well as the construction of a new state-of-the-art terminal, hangarage, fueling facilities, and a cargo processing facility. A new heliport, hotel, warehousing, and logistics facilities are also being planned. The airport is expected to serve both domestic and international passengers.
Cape {town} Etc discount: Looking for things to do in the city, at half the price? Get exclusive offers here.
Nick Ferguson, executive managing director of Rsa.Aero, claims that the airport will be the greenest in the world. It will not only be off the grid for electricity, water, and sewerage, but it will also reduce carbon emissions by acting as a backup airport to Cape Town International Airport in the event of an emergency.
Any plane that needs to divert from Cape Town International will be able to land at Cape Winelands, saving fuel and resulting in a reduction of millions of tonnes of carbon emissions, he says.
Explore Cape Town and its surroundings with these incredible deals on cars for under R100 000. Find car listings here.
The Western Cape provincial government and the City of Cape Town both support the development; however, the company must still apply to the national Department of Transport to designate the site as an International Airport.
Ferguson told Engineering News that the airport would be similar to Lanseria, Johannesburg’s secondary airport. However, it ‘will be bigger, with a longer runway that can accommodate wide-body aeroplanes – which means it will be able to handle more international traffic, from more destinations, than Lanseria’.
The expansion is expected to begin as early as next year, and an environmental impact assessment is currently underway.
Also read:
New multibillion-rand airport aims to rival Cape Town International
Picture: Artur Tumasjan /Unsplash
