Two new airports are in the works for Cape Town, and one of them is nearly finished.
The southern tip of Africa has become a hub for aviation-related projects over the last few months, as Cape Town International Airport is undergoing a R10-billion overhaul, and two entirely new airports are taking shape only a few dozen kilometres away.
First up is the Atlantic Aerodrome, a new private airfield that will feature chartered flights for small aircraft, up to and including light jets.
This project is nearing completion, as the aerodrome is scheduled to open just over two months from now on 26 September 2026.
The new site is located on the west coast along the N7 going past Philadelphia, roughly 40 minutes away from the Cape Town CBD.
The founder of the Atlantic Aerodrome, Shane Harrison, said that the site will be a general aviation hub for small aircraft, intended for aircraft operators, aircraft owners, turboprops, and light jets.
He said that there is high demand for the airfield, which will serve as an alternative to Cape Town International Airport and the upcoming Cape Winelands Airport.
The project was initially planned with multiple phases in mind; however, Harrison said that Phase 2 has already been moved into Phase One.
Phase one included a 900-metre runway with taxiways, but they are already looking to upscale the project to a longer 1,250-metre strip that will allow the airport to accommodate everything up to light jets.
In addition to the main runway, the new airport will feature several operational and recreational facilities.
A flight school, which operated at the Cape Winelands location for 25 years, is relocating to the aerodrome and will have its own purpose-built hangars, classrooms, and offices.
Harrison said that a second flight school is also setting up at the Atlantic Aerodrome, but that they’ve had to start limiting the number of flight schools that they can take due to capacity limits.
The airport will also include a clubhouse, guest accommodation, an event venue, a restaurant with a seasonal menu, and a bar with a terrace overlooking the runway.
Cape Winelands Airport
While the Atlantic Aerodrome is a relatively small operation intended for light aircraft, the new Cape Winelands Airport is set to become a major aviation hub on par with Cape Town International.
Set to open in 2028, the new airport will provide local and international travellers with a direct route to the region’s famous wine farms.
It will also help to ease the traffic heading to Cape Town International, which hit record passenger numbers in January 2026.
In May 2026, the airport’s management confirmed that it had appointed the firm Boogertman + Partners Architects to design the new airport, including the main terminal, supporting facilities, and a runway large enough to accommodate international aircraft.
Boogertman + Partners, which is one of the largest architectural practices on the African continent, will collaborate with AMD.Sigma, a strategic airport development company based in Berlin.
The Cape Winelands Airport is being built on the existing Fisantekraal Airfield 13km northeast of Durbanville. Once complete, it will establish a new airport city precinct in the region.
Construction on the R8-billion project is scheduled to begin in late 2026. The airport itself is expected to create roughly 35,000 direct jobs and 100,000 indirect jobs over the first 20 years of operations.
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