King Shaka International Airport Master Plan

King Shaka International Airport was first conceptualised in the 1970s, with construction beginning in 1973. By 1975, earthworks and a storm drainage system had been completed. However, the project was halted in 1982 due to the economic slowdown at the time.

The project was revived in the late 1990s when the limitations of Durban International Airport became apparent. The airport’s 2,400 m (7,874 ft) runway was too short to allow large aircraft such as the Boeing 747 to operate intercontinental routes out of Durban, and the resulting decrease in international air traffic caused Durban to become marginalised with respect to Johannesburg and Cape Town. Upgrading Durban International Airport was considered but a study published in 2007 found that the existing airport would still have serious constraints and would reach its maximum potential by 2025, after which there would be no choice but to develop KSIA. It was also found that it would be 95% more expensive to operate Durban International Airport to its full potential and only then develop King Shaka Aiport, than it would be to develop King Shaka Airport immediately.

There are a number of different masterplans for King Shaka International Aiport online. While plans to change over time it is interesting to see what the proposed end goal is and how the airport is making progress towards the masterplan.

I will post any images available of the proposed masterplan and let you determine which ones are correct.