The Cape Winelands Airport is wrapping up its environmental impact assessment and is expected to be operational within the next few years.
The airport’s management recently confirmed to BusinessTech that the site is in the fourth and final round of public participation for its environmental evaluation, which commenced on 19 March.
It also confirmed that the current goal is to have the airport commissioned by early 2028, adding a much-needed thoroughfare for domestic and international travellers in South Africa.
An ambitious plan
The Cape Winelands Airport has been around since 1943, serving as a small landing strip for non-commercial flights to the Western Cape’s scenic viticulture region.
However, it was acquired by private investors in November 2020, who have plans to convert the site into a major international airport with a capital investment of R8 billion.
As its name implies, the Cape Winelands Airport is intended to serve as a gateway to the province’s famous wine farms, and will function as an alternative to the ever-busy Cape Town International Airport.
To do so, the site will require a much longer primary runaway measuring at least 3,500m in order to accommodate larger international aircraft.
The project will also establish a passenger terminal building capable of processing up to 5.2 million visitors annually.
“The airport will effectively process two million international tourists and three million domestic travellers per annum by 2050, taking the overall annual passenger traffic to the region from 10 million to 20 million passengers,” said the project’s managers.
“Beyond job creation, the airport is expected to have a far-reaching impact on the regional economy. Increased tourism and business opportunities will contribute to the growth of local businesses and industries.”
The site’s landscapers plan to incorporate vineyards into the zone in order to maintain the aesthetic of the picturesque region, and there are also plans to build a plaza, hotel, conference centre, wine-tasting facilities, high-end restaurants, and boutique shopping outlets.
In addition, the Winelands Airport is aiming to be fully self-sufficient and off-the-grid with regards to water and electricity consumption.
“The airport will use renewable energy sources, such as solar and chicken manure biogas power, to power its facilities and operations,” it said.
“The aim is to reduce the carbon footprint and ensure a reliable and uninterrupted energy supply, even in adverse conditions.”
The airport itself is meant to partially offset the record-high number of visitors arriving at Cape Town International.
By 2035, the Winelands site is expected to account for roughly 25% of all passenger flights to the region – the equivalent of roughly two to three million travellers.
A second international runaway will also be a valuable asset to the Cape in the event of emergencies, as widebody flights from overseas currently have to re-direct all the way to Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo International Airport in the event there is a problem at Cape Town’s main aviation centre.
Construction on the Cape Winelands Airport is scheduled to start this year, provided all of the necessary approvals are received.
“If all our applications are approved, we will begin transforming the airport by realigning the runway, adding new airside infrastructure, and constructing a boutique terminal,” it said.
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