Port Elizabeth Airport
In 1917, the first flight to Port Elizabeth from Cape Town was made by Major Allister Macintosh Miller. This was such an historical moment that this flight was brought to life on canvas by artist Ron Belling to be seen by many in the future. In close proximity to the city, Lieutenant Colonel Miller established the Port Elizabeth Airport in 1929. At this time however, the Airport in Port Elizabeth was only used for Miller's postage service between Port Elizabeth and Cape Town. But finally, in 1936, with one single runway, the Port Elizabeth Airport found itself officially open.
During the coming years, the little airport has seen many changes. In World War II, the Port Elizabeth Airport was remodeled to accommodate the air force, 1950 brought the construction of permanent terminals, and in 1954 the Airport of Port Elizabeth welcomed its first jet-propelled aircraft landing. The doors to the newly constructed terminal buildings were opened in 1955, accompanied with air traffic control and runways. The changes were just beginning, and 1973 saw the extension of the runways to accommodate larger aircraft and in 1980 a departure terminal was constructed. The Port Elizabeth Airport embarked on its largest and most important transition in 2000, when upgrading the community airport to an airport that is ready to convert to international standards started.
Currently, the Port Elizabeth Airport sees the arrival and departure of more than a million passengers a year, and over 38 770 air movements that service all the major domestic routes within South Africa. The terminal upgrades were completed in 2004 and are well equipped to handle more than two million passengers a year. The terminals measure a total of 8 700 square meters.
The airport infrastructure, due to all the changes, has seen to it that the Port Elizabeth Airport now has two runways of respectively 1 980m and 1 860m. A full CAT 1 ILS system is installed on the main runway from both ends, with thirteen parking bays on the apron.
The Airport of Port Elizabeth also as a wide spectrum of passenger services such as, mobile phone companies, Foreign Exchanges, coffee shops, curio shops, car rental facilities, tourism related kiosks and restaurants. Be assured that when travelling to the Port Elizabeth Airport, they are ready and waiting to accommodate every aspect of your journey.
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