Bhisho Airport

Minor South African airport

32°53′50″S 27°16′45″E / 32.89722°S 27.27917°E / -32.89722; 27.27917Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
8/26 8,202 2,500 asphalt

Bhisho Airport (Afrikaans: Bhisho-lughawe; IATA: BIY, ICAO: FABE), also known as Bulembu Airport,[1] is a local airport in Eastern Cape, South Africa, which serves Bhisho and King William's Town. The airport lies on the right side of the N2 national road toward Peddie. The airport was the hub of the short lived Ciskei International Airways from 1986 to 1989.

Bhisho Airport lies 594 m (1,950 ft) above sea level and has a runway (08/26) that is 2,500 m long.[2]

2023 visit by Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan

In April 2023 the President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), President Sheik Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, landed at the airport following a R20 million upgrade paid for by the UAE.[3][4] The landing was controversial as it followed the announcement that the UAE had released the Gupta family from custody and so would not be extraditing them to face charges for state capture in South Africa.[5][6]

Sources

  • "Eastern Cape Freight Databank-Bisho Airport". Safiri. Retrieved 4 November 2019.

References

  1. ^ "FABE/Bhisho-Bulembu General Airport Information". acukwik.com. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
  2. ^ "Airport information from FABE".
  3. ^ Dayimani, Malibongwe. "UAE president lands in Eastern Cape on R20m runway he built for himself and his entourage". News24. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
  4. ^ Ellis, Estelle (20 April 2023). "SHEIKH RATTLES THE GOLD: Generator included — how Eastern Cape government fixed up dilapidated airport for UAE royals". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
  5. ^ Nkanjeni, Unathi (24 April 2023). "'Did SA do everything required or is it another Gupta agreement?': Reactions to UAE president landing in Bhisho". TimesLIVE. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
  6. ^ "Bulembu Airport another Waterkloof moment? – Angel Khanyile - POLITICS | Politicsweb". www.politicsweb.co.za. Retrieved 13 May 2023.


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