World City Guide

Getting There By Air

Cape Town International Airport (CPT)
Tel: (021) 937 1200 or (086) 727 7888 (flight information). Fax: (021) 934 2861.
E-mail: via the airport’s website.
Website: www.airports.co.za

Cape Town International Airport is located 22 (15.5 miles) east of Cape Town’s city centre on the N2 highway. The airport has experienced much expansion and renovation over the past decade and its cutting-edge design, clean and efficient interior and extensive facilities have earned it many awards. The Domestic Terminal is currently undergoing redevelopment, which is slated for completion in 2006. The airport is South Africa’s second largest and the gateway to the Western Cape; there are direct flights to a number of destinations worldwide, including London, Munich, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Istanbul, Atlanta, Kuala Lumpur, Buenos Aires, Singapore, Cairo, Mauritius, Windhoek and Fort Lauderdale. Domestic and regional routes include Johannesburg, Durban, Port Elizabeth, East London and Bloemfontein. The airport handles over six million passengers a year, projected to increase to 14 million by 2015.

Major airlines: South African Airways (tel: (021) 936 2389; fax: (021) 936 2487; e-mail: customercare@flysaa.com; website: www.flysaa.com) is the national airline. Other major carriers include British Airways, KLM, LTU, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines and Virgin Atlantic.

Approximate flight times to Cape Town: From London is 11 hours 20 minutes; from New York is 17 hours; from Los Angeles is 25 hours; from Toronto is 19 hours and from Sydney is 16 hours.

Airport facilities: Facilities include foreign exchange, ATMs, executive car parking services, tourist information, restaurants, bars, snack bars, bookshops, duty-free shops, a pharmacy, mobile phone centre and car hire from Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz, Imperial, Khava/Kulula, National/Alamo and Tempest.

Business facilities: The Zenith Airport Conference Venue (tel: (021) 934 0012; fax: (021) 934 1659; e-mail: info@airport-conference.co.za; website: www.airport-conference.co.za) is located near the Domestic Arrivals Terminal and provides meeting and conference space, with facilities such as e-mail, fax, telephones, projectors, video-conferencing and photocopiers; secretarial service, catering and mobile phone hire are also available. The Airports Company VIP Lounge (tel: (021) 937 1233), located next to the Domestic Departures Terminal, provides further information on the airport’s business facilities.

Arrival/departure tax: An airport tax of R63 for international travel, R42 for regional travel or R20 for domestic travel is included in the price of all tickets (domestic and international), although this can vary according to the airline and destination.

Transport to the city: There is no rail service or public bus service from the airport. Various shuttle bus services also operate services from the airport. Legend Tours and Transfers (tel: (021) 936 2814 or (084) 657 5273 (after hours); e-mail: info@legendtours.co.za; website: www.legendtours.co.za) operates a 24-hour door-to-door shuttle bus service, with prices starting at R180 for one passenger to Cape Town (journey time – approximately 20 minutes). Legend Tours and Transfers has a desk in International Arrivals, which is open from 0700 until the last flight. Dumalisile Shuttle (tel: (021) 934 1660) offers a similar service between the airport and city. Advance booking is recommended. Metered taxis are always available outside the airport from Touch Down Taxis (tel: (021) 919 4659), the official airport taxi company, for approximately R175 to the city centre. Most luxury and business hotels will, if notified in advance, provide transport to and from the airport.