Accommodation near Port Elizabeth Airport - 12

Port Elizabeth Airport is located just 3.2km South of the city’s Central Business District. This close proximity has earned it the nicknamed the ‘Ten Minute Airport’ because of its close proximity to the key areas of the city.

The airport and its surrounding area is historically rich. A highlight was the 1917 flight to Port Elizabeth from Cape Town, commandeered by Major Allister Mackintosh Miller. It was highly publicised with Ron Belling, an acclaimed artist, capturing the event on canvas. This very painting continues to be on display at the Ron Belling Art Gallery in Port Elizabeth.

Following the 1917 flight, the Port Elizabeth Airport was established by Lieutenant Colonel Miller. It was not used for commercial purposes but operated as a postal service between Port Elizabeth and Cape Town.

Its official opening only occurred nine years later and its beginnings were humble, with the airport consisting of a single runway, one air hangar and a concrete apron. A far cry from what it is today.

The airport was a popular base for 42 Air School during the Second World War, which included the Royal Airforce and 6 Squadron. These schools were harboured on the south and east sides while commercialised flights continued on at the northern side of the airport.

The airport’s received its first makeover in 1955 when a permanent terminal building was constructed, made complete with several runways and an air traffic control building. Today, the airport sees hundreds of thousands of passenger each year. In 2013, a recorded 1,269,634 passengers flew from Port Elizabeth to various destinations across South Africa.

There are a number of facilities that visitors to the airport can make use of. Blunden Coach Tours is a reputable shuttle service that transports passengers to and from the airport. There is a post box and telephones scattered around the airport – a veritable lifesaver for the stranded passenger with a flat mobile phone. If you’ve got time to kill and have feeling a bit peckish, there are a number of restaurants and cafes with quality ‘on-the-go’ cuisine. If you’re looking to shop around for gifts and treats, there is a gift and sweet shop in the departure’s hall.

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