CAPE TOWN SUPPLEMENT: INTRODUCTION -

Aviation in and around Cape Town is doing simultaneously well – and not so well.

Recreational Flying

The flying schools are reporting strong growth. Morningstar, north of Cape Town, now has two busy flight schools and reports that it has never been busier. It has had a record number of new members join the flying club.

Anecdotal accounts of recreational flying during the week show that the flying schools usually have a number of aircraft in the air at any one time. The exception to this is the Cape Town Airport based flying schools which have been adversely impacted by the recent requirement imposed by ACSA that every flight to and from the airport have filed a flight plan.

The high cost of fuel and maintenance is deterring many recreational pilots and the number of hours being flown per year is dropping. Notably, when the weather is marginal but flyable, pilots are choosing not to spend the money and fly – and many of the flying clubs fly aways are preferring shorter distances. This may be good for the accident statistics but is bad for proficiency.

Cape Town Airport

Shortly before Covid, Cape Town International Airport (CTIA) was finally ready to start its huge R7 billion runway re-alignment and expansion. This included upgrades to the International and Domestic terminal buildings.

Under Covid the project was suspended, as was the R3.8 billion construction of a new 3200-metre runway.