Upington Airport
Encyclopedia
Upington Airport is an airport located in Upington
, Northern Cape
, South Africa
. At 4900 metres, runway 17/35 is one of the longest runways in the world. The high elevation of the airport, extremely high summer temperatures and the fact that it was designed for the Boeing 747
necessitated the extreme length of the main runway.
, South African Airways
lost its landing rights in Luanda
. In addition to restrictions to overflying African states, there was concern that the country would lose its landing rights at the Ivory Coast
and Ilha do Sal
(Cape Verde
).
Upington Airport's runway was built to accommodate a Boeing 747
with a full load of passengers, cargo and fuel, so that it could take off for Europe without having to stop along the way. Upington was chosen because of its strategic position, availability of land and comparatively lower height above sea level than Johannesburg
.
Upington Airport was opened in 1968 as Pierre van Ryneveld
Airport. In 1974 a corrugated iron fire station was erected but this structure was converted into administrative offices for airport management and other administrative staff in 1996 and the fire station was relocated.
From August 1976 to December 1996, South African Airways made use of Upington as a refuelling station for two weekly scheduled Boeing 747
flights to London
and Zurich
.
The Concorde
did flight testing at Upington Airport in June 1976.
and other countries. As much as 1,000,000 tonnes of grapes are exported every year.
Private charter flights are provided by Walker Flying Services who operates Cessna 210
and Cessna 402
aircraft.
Many major car manufacturers bring their cars and commercial vehicles to Upington to test them in the hot dry and sunny conditions. These cars and test teams are flown into and out of Upington Airport using chartered planes.
Statistics for the 2007 financial year at Upington Airport:
Flying services include:
directly from South Africa’s Northern Cape Province.
As well as improvements to the airport itself, ACSA
will be preparing land around the airport for development to support the inevitable boost to the local economy.
It is also the NASA Southern Hemisphere Spacecraft landing site
Planning is also under way at Upington Airport to construct a facility for the long-term parking of mothballed aircraft.
Upington, Northern Cape
Upington is a town founded in 1884 and located in the Northern Cape province of South Africa, on the banks of the Orange River. The town was named after Sir Thomas Upington, Attorney-General and then Prime Minister of the Cape. It originated as a mission station established in 1875 and run by...
, Northern Cape
Northern Cape
The Northern Cape is the largest and most sparsely populated province of South Africa. It was created in 1994 when the Cape Province was split up. Its capital is Kimberley. It includes the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park, part of an international park shared with Botswana...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. At 4900 metres, runway 17/35 is one of the longest runways in the world. The high elevation of the airport, extremely high summer temperatures and the fact that it was designed for the Boeing 747
Boeing 747
The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced...
necessitated the extreme length of the main runway.
History
With the fall of the Portuguese regime in AngolaAngola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
, South African Airways
South African Airways
South African Airways is the national flag carrier and largest airline of South Africa, with headquarters in Airways Park on the grounds of OR Tambo International Airport in Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni, Gauteng. The airline flies to 36 destinations worldwide from its hub at OR Tambo International...
lost its landing rights in Luanda
Luanda
Luanda, formerly named São Paulo da Assunção de Loanda, is the capital and largest city of Angola. Located on Angola's coast with the Atlantic Ocean, Luanda is both Angola's chief seaport and its administrative center. It has a population of at least 5 million...
. In addition to restrictions to overflying African states, there was concern that the country would lose its landing rights at the Ivory Coast
Côte d'Ivoire
The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast is a country in West Africa. It has an area of , and borders the countries Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population was 15,366,672 in 1998 and was estimated to be...
and Ilha do Sal
Sal, Cape Verde
Sal is an island in Cape Verde. It belongs to the northern group of islands, called Barlavento. The island is composed by a single administrative division, the Sal municipality. The island is home to Amílcar Cabral International Airport, the main airport of Cape Verde.- Geography :The island is...
(Cape Verde
Cape Verde
The Republic of Cape Verde is an island country, spanning an archipelago of 10 islands located in the central Atlantic Ocean, 570 kilometres off the coast of Western Africa...
).
Upington Airport's runway was built to accommodate a Boeing 747
Boeing 747
The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced...
with a full load of passengers, cargo and fuel, so that it could take off for Europe without having to stop along the way. Upington was chosen because of its strategic position, availability of land and comparatively lower height above sea level than Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
.
Upington Airport was opened in 1968 as Pierre van Ryneveld
Pierre van Ryneveld
General Sir Hesperus Andrias van Ryneveld, KBE, CB, DSO, MC was a South African military commander.He began his military career in World War I, in which he served in the Royal Flying Corps , where he distinguished himself as a fighter ace.After the war, van Ryneveld was called back to South Africa...
Airport. In 1974 a corrugated iron fire station was erected but this structure was converted into administrative offices for airport management and other administrative staff in 1996 and the fire station was relocated.
From August 1976 to December 1996, South African Airways made use of Upington as a refuelling station for two weekly scheduled Boeing 747
Boeing 747
The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced...
flights to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Zurich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
.
The Concorde
Concorde
Aérospatiale-BAC Concorde was a turbojet-powered supersonic passenger airliner, a supersonic transport . It was a product of an Anglo-French government treaty, combining the manufacturing efforts of Aérospatiale and the British Aircraft Corporation...
did flight testing at Upington Airport in June 1976.
Non-Scheduled services
Upington Airport serves as an international cargo hub. Most flights are non-scheduled chartered flights operating in the months of November to January to export grapes from the region directly to EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and other countries. As much as 1,000,000 tonnes of grapes are exported every year.
Private charter flights are provided by Walker Flying Services who operates Cessna 210
Cessna 210
The Cessna 210 Centurion is a six-seat, high-performance, retractable-gear single-engine general aviation aircraft which was first flown in January 1957 and produced by Cessna until 1985.-Design and development:...
and Cessna 402
Cessna 402
The Cessna 401 and 402 are series of 6 to 10 place, light twin, piston engine aircraft. This line was manufactured by Cessna from 1966 to 1985 under the name Utiliner and Businessliner...
aircraft.
Many major car manufacturers bring their cars and commercial vehicles to Upington to test them in the hot dry and sunny conditions. These cars and test teams are flown into and out of Upington Airport using chartered planes.
Airport services and capacity
Services at Upington Airport include:- One terminal building (combined arrival and departure hall)
- Information desk
- Conference room accommodating up to 12 persons
- Five different car rental companies
- Public parking for up to 58 cars
- Basic first aid facilities
Statistics for the 2007 financial year at Upington Airport:
- 19,961 departing passengers
- 3,694 arriving air traffic movements
- Current consolidated capacity: 40,000 passengers
- Aircraft parking bays: 20
Flying services include:
- Control tower (frequency 121.30)
- Apron services (frequency 122.65)
- Refuelling service by Engen Aviation providing AvgasAvgasAvgas is an aviation fuel used to power piston-engine aircraft. Avgas is distinguished from mogas , which is the everyday gasoline used in cars and some non-commercial light aircraft...
and Jet-A1 - General aviation area including parking
- VOR and NDB instrument approach procedure for runway 01
- Runway centreline lights, end lights and PAPI for runways 01/19 and 17/35
- Fire and rescue services (CAT 7)
- Upington Weather Office
Future development
Upington Airport’s uncommonly long runway and its strategically advantageous location, close to South Africa’s northern borders, makes it ideally placed to serve the African continent. For this reason the airport is to be developed into a major cargo hub that will serve sub-Saharan AfricaSub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa as a geographical term refers to the area of the African continent which lies south of the Sahara. A political definition of Sub-Saharan Africa, instead, covers all African countries which are fully or partially located south of the Sahara...
directly from South Africa’s Northern Cape Province.
As well as improvements to the airport itself, ACSA
Airports Company South Africa
Airports Company of South Africa Limited operates ten of South Africa’s airports. Its head office is in The Maples Office Park in Bedfordview, Ekurhuleni.-History:...
will be preparing land around the airport for development to support the inevitable boost to the local economy.
It is also the NASA Southern Hemisphere Spacecraft landing site
Planning is also under way at Upington Airport to construct a facility for the long-term parking of mothballed aircraft.
See also
- List of airports in South Africa
- List of South African airports by passenger movements
- Airports Company South AfricaAirports Company South AfricaAirports Company of South Africa Limited operates ten of South Africa’s airports. Its head office is in The Maples Office Park in Bedfordview, Ekurhuleni.-History:...
External links
- Official aerodrome chart for FAUP - SACAA Website
- Upington Airport Homepage - ACSA Website
- South African Airlink Homepage
- Walker Flying Services