Port Elizabeth Airport (PLZ) Information
(Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa)
Formerly known as the HF Verwoerd Airport, Port Elizabeth Airport is only a few minutes' drive from the centre of its namesake city. It has been standing since the late 1920s and is now operated by Airports Company South Africa (ACSA). Even though it only handles in the region of 1.5 million passengers each year, it is still an important gateway into the southern region of
South Africa.
Three runways are currently in operation here, although one is a grass runway that is only used when needed by light aircraft. There is just one terminal which has an annual capacity to handle about two million people. An upgrade of the building was finished in 2004. More than a dozen bays are available for aircraft on the tarmac.
Only domestic flights are handled at Port Elizabeth Airport. Routes to
Cape Town, Bloemfontein,
Durban,
Johannesburg and East London are available from Port Elizabeth. Comair, South African Airways and Airlink are some of the carriers operating at this facility.
Port Elizabeth Airport (PLZ)
Address: Alister Miller Drive / Boeing Street / Schoenmakerskop, Port Elizabeth, 6011, South Africa, ZA
Tel: +27 0507 7348
The airport is only 3 km / 2 miles to the south of downtown Port Elizabeth, being situated next to Forest Hill and close to the Settlers Park Local Authority Nature Reserve. Visitors can reach the inner city in a matter of minutes via the M9 motorway, while the airport is just a five-minute drive from the M2, which is the Eastern Cape's busiest motorway.
Facilities:
- ATM sited between the Departures and Arrivals halls
- A money exchange service is located at the information desk
- Both halls provide public telephones
- A restaurant and cafés dotted throughout the terminal
- Gift shops in the Arrivals and Departures halls
- Car rental companies including Alisa, Tempest, Imperial, Budget and Avis
- Lock up garages, short-term and long-term parking all available
- A conference centre known as the Landing Strip
- Lifts and specially designed restrooms are offered for passengers with limited mobility
- Luggage trolleys are provided in the car parks and also inside the terminal
Cars
With the airport standing just a few minutes' drive from the heart of Port Elizabeth, tourists can easily reach the centre of the city by car. Motorists can travel along the M10 (Harrower Road), passing by Holland Park, the Nelson Mandela Stadium and Kensington, before joining the M4 (Settlers Highway) until the Walmer Road turn-off at South End. From Walmer Road, drivers should take a left along 3rd Avenue, where the terminal resides.
Buses
It is possible to book bus tickets in advance, although purchasing tickets at the terminal is also an option and often more convenient. Bus services head into the centre of the city and usually take about ten minutes. Many passengers choose to reserve seats for returning bus transportation. Visitors can find tickets for buses on sale in the Arrivals hall.
Taxis
If buses or self-driving don't appeal, then taxis are another great transportation option at Port Elizabeth Airport. A taxi rank can be found just outside the Departures hall, making it handy for arriving passengers to access metered taxi services.
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