Winelands airport set to boost regional economy

The picturesque Cape Winelands region is set to soar to new heights with an estimated R7 billion airport expansion programme.

Cape Winelands Airport, established in 1943, is one of the oldest airfields in the region and has primarily served the general aviation community.

The development plans include vineyards as part of the landscaping aesthetics to portray the region’s wine culture, with open spaces that includes a plaza, a hotel, conference centre, a wine-tasting experience, an outdoor amphitheatre for events, an aviation museum and at-grade parking.

In the controlled airside area of the airport, a portion of the land will include a botanical garden with a diverse collection of fynbos.

The airport aims to serve as a crucial gateway to the Cape Winelands region, offering a range of domestic and international flight options and opening up new routes.

It is expected to effectively process 2 million international tourists and 3 million domestic travellers per annum by 2050, taking the overall annual passenger traffic to the region from 10 to 20 million passengers.

“We are thrilled to introduce our airport expansion to the Cape Winelands region,” said Deon Cloete, managing director of Cape Winelands Airport.

“This facility represents a commitment to providing world-class transportation options, promoting tourism, and stimulating economic growth in our beautiful region.”

Beyond job creation, the airport is expected to have a far-reaching impact on the regional economy.

The airport also aims to be self-sufficient and off the grid for water and electricity as far as possible and will harness renewable energy sources, such as solar and chicken manure biogas power to power its facilities and operations.

Cape Times