The new King Shaka Airport in Durban

The recently completed Durban International Airport started its construction in 2007, taking only three years to become operational and was named King Shaka International Airport by the legendary Zulu king who united the scattered tribes of the northern region of South Africa.

For a construction cost of two and a half billion rand, the new airport is an integrated freight and passenger airport. The terminal floor covers an area of ​​103,000 square meters, and runways and taxis cover 400,000 square meters. The airport currently handles 7.5 million customers and is expected to handle 45 million by 2060. 6,500 square feet of retail space has been allocated to include a consolidated area for car rental. Durban Airport has ten car rental concessions, which have proven to be popular with both international and domestic visitors. In addition to the care rental offered by Durban Airport, there are car rental agents who drive out of sight and will deliver the car to you when you land.

Durban's former airport, although international was not a preferred destination for most international airlines, due to Johannesburg's popularity for business and politics, most airlines would fly to Johannesburg and then redirect domestic domestic passengers to Durban. This was partly due to the fact that the runway at Durban's previous airport was too short for a loaded 747 to take off. Ironically, due to the altitude of Johannesburg, aircraft require a reduced fuel load to reach the speed needed to take off the runway length, which means that most long-haul flights require a stopover en route to their destination. This consumes more fuel as it obviously has to land and restart. It is believed that with the increased handling capacity of the new Durban International Airport and for fuel economy reasons, international carriers may begin to favor it over Johannesburg, especially as Durban becomes a more popular destination for overseas visitors.

The new Durban Airport is located 35 km north of the city, and without a dedicated public transport network connecting it to the city, a rental car from Durban Airport is a good decision. It also gives you the opportunity to explore the beautiful countryside. King Shaka Airport has access to the N2 from the north and south. If it's not an option to drive yourself around, it's important that all the big hotels and boarding houses provide bus or car pick-up services, or there are also several shuttle operators to take you to the city center.