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Total 1 airports of PLZ

PLZ Port Elizabeth Airport
Port Elizabeth Airport (IATA: PLZ, ICAO:FAPE) is located in the the city of Port Elizabeth, South africa. It is the primary international airport serving Port Elizabeth and its surrounding metropolitan area. Phone Number :+27415077319

Show details

IATA Code

PLZ

ICAO Code

FAPE

Name

Port Elizabeth Airport

Type

Main Airport

Country / Region

South africa (ZA)

City

Port Elizabeth

Latitude

-33.9849014

Longitude

25.6173000

Time Zone

UTC+02:00

Phone Number

+27415077319

Est. Unit Price

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Airport Overview

Port Elizabeth Airport (PLZ), ICAO FAPE, serves Port Elizabeth in South Africa’s Eastern Cape and is located close to the city centre. It is a regional passenger airport with an important role in local business, manufacturing, tourism and time-sensitive shipments. The airport is not positioned as a dedicated international cargo hub; international freight is therefore commonly handled through connecting gateways and coordinated with the destination or origin carrier. Our service team can arrange the complete movement, including road feeder collection, airline space enquiry, export documentation and onward connection planning. Cargo acceptance, handling windows, customs procedures and available equipment must be confirmed for each shipment before booking.

Airport	Port Elizabeth Airport
IATA / ICAO	PLZ / FAPE
Location	Port Elizabeth, South Africa
Coordinates	33°59′05.6″S, 25°37′02.3″E
Time zone	UTC+02:00
Airport contact in supplied record	+27 41 507 7319

Key Highlights

Regional gateway: Best suited to Eastern Cape origin and destination cargo, with wider international reach normally arranged through a connecting airport.
Close urban location: The short airport-to-city movement can support local collections, but traffic, delivery appointments and consignee access still require planning.
Connection-dependent transit: International schedules, cut-off times and transfer handling can materially affect the final transit plan.
Shipment-specific acceptance: Dangerous goods, perishables, live animals, pharmaceuticals and oversized cargo require advance carrier and handler confirmation.
Road-air coordination: For some international shipments, a confirmed road feeder or alternative gateway may provide a more reliable solution than forcing a same-airport connection.

Cargo Facilities & Services

Port Elizabeth Airport has an airport terminal and apron designed primarily around regional passenger operations. Cargo handling is normally performed through approved airline, ground-handling and customs arrangements rather than through an independently marketed cargo-hub network. Our service team verifies the actual acceptance channel before issuing final shipping instructions.

General cargo: Booking, acceptance, build-up, documentation and delivery arrangements are subject to the selected airline and appointed ground handler.
Temperature-sensitive cargo: Pre-alerts should specify the required temperature range, packaging method, storage duration and handover sequence. Do not assume dedicated cold-room availability without written confirmation.
Dangerous goods: Acceptance depends on airline approval, trained handling personnel, packaging, labels, Shipper’s Declaration and applicable restrictions.
Customs-controlled cargo: Export or import clearance must be coordinated with the broker and the relevant South African authorities before cargo is tendered or released.
Oversized or special handling: Confirm aircraft equipment, cargo-door limitations, pallet dimensions, forklift access and final-mile vehicle requirements before booking.

Routes & Transit Times

Domestic and regional uplift may be planned through South African gateway airports such as Johannesburg, Cape Town or Durban, subject to the carrier’s current network and available capacity.
International cargo may require an interline, airline transfer or road feeder connection. The final routing should be selected against the shipment’s delivery deadline, commodity and customs status.
Transit time is affected by booking confirmation, local acceptance cut-off, connection protection, weekend or public-holiday schedules, customs release and the availability of onward uplift.
Our team provides a shipment-specific routing proposal after checking the origin, destination, dimensions, chargeable weight, commodity and requested delivery date; no fixed transit promise should be made before carrier confirmation.

For urgent freight, request both an airport-to-airport option and a gateway-plus-road alternative. This makes schedule, handling and recovery risks easier to compare.

Hinterland & Key Cargo

Primary service area: Port Elizabeth and the wider Eastern Cape, including industrial, commercial and tourism-related locations that can be reached by scheduled road collection.
Manufacturing and automotive supply chains: Production samples, maintenance parts, tooling, urgent replacement components and time-critical line-down materials may require priority planning.
Agricultural and food-related cargo: Fresh produce, processed food and other perishables require packaging validation, temperature planning and rapid customs or inspection coordination.
General commercial freight: Documents, consumer goods, electronics, garments, spare parts and project components can be handled subject to airline acceptance and packaging limits.
Return and repair movements: Temporary export, repair-and-return, warranty and sample shipments should be reviewed for customs valuation, origin evidence and re-import requirements.

Operations & Compliance

Cut-off control: Airline and handler acceptance cut-offs vary by flight, commodity and day. Our team confirms the cargo-ready time, document deadline and physical tender location rather than relying on a generic airport schedule.
Accurate cargo description: The commercial invoice, packing list, air waybill and booking data should show a specific commodity description, quantities, weights, dimensions, value, origin and consignee details.
Regulated shipments: Dangerous goods, lithium batteries, pharmaceuticals, perishables, live animals and valuables require pre-screening, advance approval and any applicable permits or declarations.
Customs and release: Missing tariff information, inconsistent values, incomplete importer details or inspection requirements can delay clearance and collection. The consignee or appointed broker must be ready to respond promptly.

Shipping Tips

Send the commercial invoice, packing list, dimensions, gross weight, commodity description and preferred ready time before requesting a firm routing.
Book early when the shipment is temperature-sensitive, dangerous, oversized, live, high-value or dependent on a tight international connection.
Use robust, airline-compliant packaging and clearly separate non-stackable, fragile, wet, perishable or special-handling instructions from ordinary cargo marks.
Ask our service team to quote a gateway alternative and a road-air solution when direct uplift, transfer protection or final delivery timing is uncertain.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Port Elizabeth Airport handle international air freight?

International movements may be arranged through airline connections or a South African gateway, subject to the current carrier network, customs status and cargo acceptance rules. Our team confirms the complete routing before booking.

What is the best routing for urgent cargo from the Eastern Cape?

There is no single best option. We compare available uplift from Port Elizabeth Airport with gateway air freight and road feeder alternatives, considering cargo readiness, connection risk, delivery location and customs requirements.

Can temperature-controlled or pharmaceutical shipments be accepted?

They may be accepted when the airline and handling chain approve the commodity and the required handling conditions. Provide the temperature range, packaging details, data-logger requirements and delivery deadline in advance.

How early should dangerous goods be submitted?

Submit the classification, UN number where applicable, packing instruction, package count, net quantity, safety information and Shipper’s Declaration before cargo tender. Final lead time depends on airline review and the requested flight.

What commonly causes cargo release delays?

Typical causes include incomplete customs data, inconsistent invoice and packing-list information, late broker instructions, inspection requirements, restricted commodities and missed acceptance cut-offs. Our team checks these items before dispatch.

Data Sources & Provenance

Airport identity, codes, coordinates, location, time zone, contact number and the supplied terminal, apron and passenger-capacity descriptions are based on the airport record provided for this page. Operational details that can change, including airline acceptance, handling arrangements, cut-off times, customs procedures, equipment availability and routing, require shipment-specific confirmation.

For official airport and aviation verification, consult airports.co.za, the Airports Company South Africa domain, and caa.co.za, the South African Civil Aviation Authority domain. For international cargo terminology and industry reference, consult iata.org. South African customs and excise information should be checked through sars.gov.za.

These sources are provided for verification boundaries. Current flight schedules, carrier acceptance, handling capacity, customs release and special-cargo permissions remain subject to the applicable airline, handler, authorities and written booking confirmation.