‍

The Cape Winelands Airport, located 25 km from Cape Town International Airport (CTIA) off the N1 near Durbanville, is poised to become a major commercial hub with a R7.7 billion private investment. Originally Fisantekraal Airport, established in 1943 for the South African Air Force and privatized in 1993, it was acquired by RSA.Aero in 2020. The project aims to expand this general aviation site into a sustainable, high-tech airport, with construction set to begin by late 2025 and completion expected by 2028.

The first phase, costing R5 to R7 billion, includes a 3.5 km Code 4F runway for aircraft like the Airbus A380, a boutique terminal, cargo facilities, and sustainable features like Africa’s first digital control tower. Plans also feature solar power, biogas from chicken manure, and fuel storage for JetA1, Avgas, and sustainable aviation fuels. A fuelling station, hotel, heliport, and logistics facilities will enhance its offerings. The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is nearing completion by early 2024, with funding arrangements progressing.

Economically, the airport promises over 58,000 jobs by 2050, with passenger capacity starting at 1.1 million annually by 2027, rising to 2 million by 2030, 3.8 million by 2040, and 5.2 million by 2050—targeting 25% of CTIA’s market share. Fuel savings, assessed by PACE Aerospace Engineering & IT GmBH, will cut millions of kilograms of carbon emissions yearly, leveraging its proximity to CTIA (unlike O.R. Tambo, 1,270 km away). A 15-year Lufthansa partnership bolsters its alternate destination potential.

Community response is mixed. Noise and traffic concerns persist, and the public participation process has drawn criticism. An open day on November 20, 2024, at Goedgeleven, Klipheuwel Road, followed a week’s notice, while the draft EIA report (DEIR) comment period runs until December 13, 2024 (email: amanda@phsconsulting.co.za). Critics, including Larry Eichstadt of Resource Management Services, decry the lack of formal meetings and the DEIR’s absence from Durbanville Public Library—available only at Fisantekraal Public Library and www.phsconsulting.co.za. The year-end DEIR circulation, with no January 2025 extension, has fueled transparency debates.

Regionally, the project aligns with growth like the R100 million Greenville Garden City (16,000 homes) and STADIO Holdings’ R45 million campus, opening in 2026, enhancing connectivity for Darling and beyond. Led by RSA.Aero’s Nick Ferguson and Cape Winelands Airport MD Deon Cloete—ex-CTIA and King Shaka veteran—the project emphasizes sustainability, with solar, biogas, and fuel efficiency at its core.

Originally slated for 2027, the timeline shift to 2028 reflects regulatory and planning hurdles. Still, with a 900m x 20m and 700m x 16m runway currently serving light aircraft, the leap to a 3.5 km runway signals ambition. Visit capewinelands.aero for more. This R7.7 billion venture could redefine the Western Cape’s aviation landscape—if community concerns are addressed.

‍