Port Elizabeth Airport Flights
The Port Elizabeth Airport is currently handling more than 1 million passengers each year and handles over 800 tons of cargo which includes everything from flowers, meat, mushrooms, and frozen lobster and ostrich skins.
There have been a number of improvements over the years to the Port Elizabeth Airport because of the increased growth of tourism in the area as well as to make the necessary preparations for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Some of the improvements to the airport include a terminal expansion that is now able to handle up to 2 million passengers each year. The terminal houses a central retail area as well as international arrivals and departures terminal.
Port Elizabeth Airport
The Port Elizabeth airport is at the southern end of Port Elizabeth and is just a mere ten minutes from the city centre and major areas of the city.
It is close to the Summerstrand and takes a short 10 minutes to drive from the Port Elizabeth International Airport to the Protea Hotel Marine for instance.
The airport also houses many car rental companies that include Avis, Budget, First Car Rental, Tempest, Thrifty and Europcar.
The Port Elizabeth Airport operates many domestic flights in South Africa. The main airlines that operate at the Port Elizabeth Airport are Airlink, British Airways, Mango, Kulula, South African Airways and South African Express.
Flights from Port Elizabeth Airport
In August 1998 a South African Airways Boeing 747-400 landed at the Port Elizabeth Airport and would be officially named ‘Ibayhi’ which is the Xhosa word for Port Elizabeth. The aircraft was carrying a minimal amount of fuel as well as a number of crew and passengers, but made a safe landing on the 1980 metre runway.
On the 17th of May 2004, John Travolta landed his personal Qantas Boeing 707 directly after Mauritius at the Port Elizabeth Airport. He was visiting a private game reserve that was close by.
On the 1st of February 2008 King Abdullah II of Jordan’s Airbus A340-200 landed at the Port Elizabeth Airport. On a Harley Davidson motorbike he then made his way down to the Garden Route to Cape Town.
South African Airways operated an Airbus A340-200 to Port Elizabeth in June 2010 in order to help manage the increased volume of people that arrived for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
South African Airways operated an Airbus A330-200 to Port Elizabeth from Johannesburg on the 27th of October 2013.
Port Elizabeth Airport Flights
Tips for Flights
- When booking flights at Port Elizabeth Airport, always book in advance for the cheapest flights
- Make sure you arrive atleast an hour before your flight departs from Port Elizabeth Airport
- Always check the luggage limit with the airline and make sure your luggage is locked.