Cape Winelands Airport gets closer to takeoff

The environmental impact assessment at the site of the much-anticipated Cape Winelands Airport (CWA) has been wrapped up. The conclusion of this process marks a major milestone on the road to construction, and 2028 is scheduled to be the year that A380s are welcomed to Mother City for the first time, thanks to the superior capabilities that CWA will offer. 3Cube Property Solutions looks at everything businesses need to know about the new development.

A sophisticated airport in the making

In an interview with the Cape Argus, Dean Cloete, managing director of CWA, said that since the project’s inception, environmental-friendliness has been at the heart of the transformation of the former Fisantekraal Airport. “The new airport will offer Africa’s first digital tower and be off the grid for water and electricity, limiting the impact on services and the City of Cape Town’s resources,” he remarked.

Opportunities created in the Western Cape

Cloete also pointed out that one of the impacts of opening a second airport in the city is the need to build a team from scratch. “It presents a huge opportunity,” he shared. “An airport campus has a huge supply chain, from security and cleaning to maintenance teams, restaurant staff, airline staff and so on.”

The tourism potential that touches down at smaller airports is significant. A classic example of this potential is Ryanair, which can offer affordable flights to Paris from various European destinations, thanks to operating from Paris Beauvais Airport rather than Charles de Gaulle. Norse Atlantic Airways is another example, flying into London’s Gatwick Airport rather than Heathrow. CWA provides an opportunity for airlines to bring more visitors to the Mother City – potentially at outstanding prices.

CWA boasts immediate proximity to tourism hotspots like Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek. This allows tour operators to offer seamless air-travel-to-wine-tasting experiences. The Mother City is thus poised to become an even more desirable tourism location.

The case for two airports in the Mother City

While sceptics may ask whether the launch of Cape Winelands Airport will lead to the creation of another white elephant like the defunct Durban International Airport, there is much evidence to the contrary. The Durban South facility which used to house KwaZulu-Natal’s main airport was abandoned due to a lack of clear vision and management. There is a clear vision and purpose for both Western Cape airports.

Moreover, it was never envisioned that there would be two airports in KZN. The motivation behind the move to La Mercy was to have one airport that was big enough to handle the demands created by the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Globally, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a major tourism hub without at least two airports. Cities like London, New York, Sydney and Paris all have multiple airports – and in fact, London has six.

Another important fact to remember is that Cape Town International Airport cannot accommodate A380s, which are the largest passenger planes in the world. Cape Winelands Airport will be able to accommodate these planes, allowing airlines to bring more visitors to the Cape.

Property values to soar

Airport proximity is intrinsically linked to higher commercial and industrial property prices. Thanks to the global economy, the potential of airport zones is soaring. As an article written for BizCommunity points out, properties in Cape Town’s Airport Industria, adjacent to Cape Town International Airport, rarely go on the market. It thus stands to reason that industrial properties in CWA’s neighbouring suburbs, like Brackenfell and Paarl, will come into unprecedented demand.

In early 2024, Cape Business Times already predicted that large-scale developments in the Fisantekraal region would see the City of Cape Town expanding to the east. Over and above the airport, the area is set to benefit from the extension of a major highway, the establishment of a private university and a housing project.

If your business is ready to capitalise on the burgeoning industrial and commercial landscape in Cape Town, which is being greatly enhanced by the development of the Cape Winelands Airport, get in touch with 3Cube Property Solutions.