Lights are available on request from CTFTC. The Cape Talk Radio AM transmission mast is located 5 NM north of FAWN on frequency 567 kHz. Magic Radio 828 kHz is 8 NM NNE of the field. Both can be used for ADF training.
It is situated approximately 13 kilometres (8.1mi) northeast of the town of Durbanville, in the Northern Suburbs, and currently serves as a general flying airfield, used for flight, circuit, and emergency training, as well as for private flights to and from the Cape Winelands region.
As of mid-2025, the airport is in the planning phases for redevelopment, and is set to serve as Cape Town's second international airport on completion. The project is being driven by RSA.aero, a consortium of aviation industry veterans. Funding talks are underway, an Environmental Authorization (EA) has been submitted, and the airport aims to accommodate over 5 million passengers annually by 2050.[2]
History
The airport was built in its original form in 1943, on a 150 ha site, for use by the South African Air Force. Originally called Fisantekraal Airport, it had 4 runways.[1]
The airfield was transferred to the local municipality in the 1960s, and it was sold to a private owner in 1993.[1]
In 2021, South African billionaire Rob Hersov announced his intention to buy the airport and turn it into a secondary aviation hub for Cape Town, focusing on local flights. [3]
As of 2025, only 2 of the original 4 runways are still in use: 05/23 and 14/32.[1] The old taxiways and other runways are no longer used, but are still visible from overhead.
The airport is close to the R312 road (Lichtenburg Road), and the nearest major route towards Cape Town and Paarl is the N1 freeway. Its location is considerably more rural than Cape Town International, which is situated in urban Cape Town, closer to the CBD and most major tourist attractions.
Aerodrome and airspace information
Cape Winelands Airport airspace is uncontrolled Class G and has its own radio frequency of 131.1MHz. Broadcasts are addressed to Winelands Traffic.[1] Joining altitude is restricted to 2000ft AMSL by the Cape Town TMA sector A overhead. The Cape Town CTR is approximately 3.5NM southwest of the field.
Circuits are all flown at 1200ft AMSL for aeroplanes and helicopters, and 900ft AMSL for microlights. All turns are made to the left. The circuit is restricted to a 2.5nm radius from the centre of the airfield.[1]
Magnetic variation is approx 23° W near Cape Winelands Airport. There are tall mountain ranges to the southeast of the field extending to 6600ft AMSL. The prevailing wind is southeasterly in summer and northwesterly in winter. Summer temperatures can reach 40°C, resulting in a maximum density altitude of about 3200ft. The general flying areas nearby are FAD200 about 10 minutes to the northwest on 124.4MHz, and FAD69 about five minutes to the north on 124.2MHz.[1]
As of August 2017, the largest aircraft to have landed at Cape Winelands Airport was a Lockheed C-130 Hercules 5X-UCF, making several landings. Advertisements and movies have also been filmed on location at Cape Winelands Airport.
Working on Fire organisation used to have a summer base at Cape Winelands Airport, but this has recently been closed.[8]
Trivia
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules, Call sign 5X-UCF, was flown in as part of The Red Sea Diving Resort (2018) movie that was filmed on location.
Planned developments
There are plans to convert the Cape Winelands Airport into an international airport, which will make it the second international airport in the City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality.[9][10] The airport improvement program is planned to be done in an 18 to 24 month period, starting within the last few months of 2025, with the commissioning planned for early 2028.[11][12]
With an investment of R7.7 billion,[10] plans include the completion of a 3.5km (2.2mi) runway,[10] the setting up of a warehousing facility[9] and the building of a passenger terminal that can accommodate 5.2 million passengers yearly.[11]
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