View source for George Airport

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{Use South African English|date=March 2013}}
{{Infobox airport
| name                = George Airport<br/>''George Lughawe''
| image               = George Airport, Western Cape, South Africa.jpg
| image-width         = 250
| IATA                = GRJ
| ICAO                = FAGG
| type                = Public
| hub                 = {{Plainlist|
* [[FlySafair]] 
* [[CemAir]] 
* [[Airlink]] 
}}
| owner               = 
| operator            = [[Airports Company South Africa]]
| city-served         = [[George, Western Cape|George]], [[Garden Route District Municipality]], [[South Africa]]
| location            = 
| elevation-f         = 639
| elevation-m         = 195
| coordinates         = {{coord|34|00|24|S|22|22|51|E|region:ZA-WC|display=inline,title}}
| image_map           = 
| image_mapsize       = 
| image_map_alt       = 
| image_map_caption   = 
| pushpin_map         = Western Cape#South Africa#Africa
| pushpin_label_position = 
| pushpin_label       = GRJ
| pushpin_map_alt     = 
| pushpin_mapsize     = 
| pushpin_image       = 
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in the Western Cape
| website             = https://www.airports.co.za/airports/george-airport
| metric-rwy          = yes
| r1-number           = 11/29
| r1-length-f         = 6,561
| r1-length-m         = 2,000
| r1-surface          = Asphalt
| r2-number           = 02/20 (CLOSED)
| r2-length-f         = 4,002
| r2-length-m         = 1,220
| r2-surface          = Asphalt
| stat1-header        = Passenger traffic
| stat1-data          = 803,184
| stat-year           = FY23 / 24
| footnotes           = Source: [[Airports Company South Africa]]<ref name=dur-statistics-passengers>{{cite web |url=http://www.acsa.co.za/home.asp?pid=141 |title=ACSA – Durban Passenger Statistics |publisher=Airports Company South Africa |accessdate=6 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929084320/http://www.acsa.co.za/home.asp?pid=141 |archive-date=29 September 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=dur-statistics-aircraft>{{cite web |url=https://www.airports.co.za/airports/george-airport/statistics/aircraft |title=ACSA – George Aircraft Statistics |publisher=Airports Company South Africa |accessdate=8 December 2024}}</ref>
}}

'''George Airport''' {{Airport codes|GRJ|FAGG}} ({{langx|af|George Lughawe}}) is an airport located in [[George, Western Cape]], [[South Africa]].  It was formerly known as '''[[P. W. Botha]] Airport''', named after the [[Pieter Willem Botha|state president]] who lived in this part of the country.

This airport was originally built in 1977 as an exact replica of the [[Keetmanshoop Airport]] in [[Namibia]], but since its expansion and renovation, it now looks completely different. George Airport has won the award for Africa's best airport in the category under two million passengers per year six times; the last time was in 2017. The award is given by Airports Council International (ACI).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.georgeherald.com/News/Article/General/george-airport-winner-in-airport-service-quality-awards-201803081015|title=George Airport wins award|website=George Herald|access-date=2018-08-24}}</ref>

In 2013, the airport served 560,432 passengers, substantially more than the 154,000 in 2003. From 2014 onwards, continued increase in passenger numbers were witnessed, with 2017 seeing a record number of passengers (785,486), closing in on the design capacity of the airport which should necessitate further terminal expansion in the near future.

==Airlines and destinations==
===Passenger===
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{{airport-dest-list
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|[[Airlink]] | [[Cape Town International Airport|Cape Town]], [[O. R. Tambo International Airport|Johannesburg–O. R. Tambo]]
<!-- -->
|[[CemAir]] | [[Bloemfontein Airport|Bloemfontein]],<ref>https://www.facebook.com/flycemair/photos/a.1416817981867233/2776145309267820/ {{User-generated source|certain=yes|date=March 2022}}</ref> [[Cape Town International Airport|Cape Town]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/closure-of-plettenberg-bay-airport-to-commercial-flights-sparks-outcry-20210812|title=Closure of Plettenberg Bay Airport to commercial flights sparks outcry}}</ref> [[King Shaka International Airport|Durban]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aeroroutes.com/eng/230329-5z2q23|title=Cemair 2Q23 Network Additions|publisher=AeroRoutes|date=29 March 2023|accessdate=29 March 2023}}</ref> [[O. R. Tambo International Airport|Johannesburg–O. R. Tambo]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.flycemair.co.za/?checkin=true|title = CemAir / Scheduled flights in South Africa}}</ref> [[Air Force Base Hoedspruit|Hoedspruit]] (Launches 16 May 2026)<ref>{{cite web |title=CemAir launches direct route between George and Hoedspruit |url=https://www.cemair.co.za/George_and_Hoedspruit_press_release.html |website=CemAir |publisher=CemAir (Pty) Ltd |date=6 November 2024 |access-date=12 November 2025}}</ref>
<!-- -->
|[[FlySafair]] | [[Cape Town International Airport|Cape Town]], [[Lanseria International Airport|Johannesburg–Lanseria]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Safair Adds Lanseria – George From March 2025 |url=https://www.aeroroutes.com/eng/241218-famar25hlagrj |website=Aeroroutes |access-date=18 December 2024}}</ref> [[O. R. Tambo International Airport|Johannesburg–O. R. Tambo]]<ref>{{Cite web | url = https://www.flysafair.co.za/flight-schedules |title=FlySafair Flight Schedule
}}</ref>
|}}

===Cargo===
{{airport-dest-list
|[[BidAir Cargo]] | [[O. R. Tambo International Airport|Johannesburg–O. R. Tambo]]<ref>[http://www.bidaircargo.com/overnight/network/ bidaircargo.com – Network] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211101162011/https://bidaircargo.com/overnight/network/ |date=1 November 2021 }}. Retrieved 13 January 2021</ref>
}}

==Traffic statistics==
{{Airport-Statistics|iata=GRJ|titre=Civil annual passenger traffic}}

{| class="toccolours sortable" border="1" cellpadding="5" style="border-collapse:collapse"
|+ '''Annual Passenger traffic'''<ref name="Statistics">{{cite web|url=http://www.airports.co.za/home.asp?pid=148 |title=ACSA Passenger Statistics |publisher=[[Airports Company South Africa]] |accessdate=23 October 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029192659/http://www.airports.co.za/home.asp?pid=148 |archivedate=29 October 2013 }}</ref><ref>https://www.airports.co.za/StatisticsLib/GRJ%20PASSENGER.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=August 2025}}</ref>
! Year || Passengers      || % Change  
|-
! 2006
| 589,674      || {{increase}}4.2% 
|-
! 2007
| 652,031      || {{increase}}10.6% 
|-
! 2008
| 630,385      || {{decrease}}3.3% 
|-
! 2009
| 548,498      || {{decrease}}13.0% 
|-
! 2010
| 526,823      || {{decrease}}4.0%
|-
! 2011
| 565,291      || {{increase}}7.3%
|-
! 2012
| 544,306      || {{decrease}}3.7% 
|-
! 2013
| 572,130     || {{increase}}5.1%
|-
! 2014
| 615,688      || {{increase}}7.6%
|-
! 2015
| 718,881      || {{increase}}16.8%
|-
! 2016
| 738,641      || {{increase}}2.7%
|-
! 2017
| 801,480      || {{increase}}8.5%
|-
! 2018
| 830,118      || {{increase}}4.3%
|-
! 2019
| 830,118      || {{decrease}}0.7%
|-
! 2020
| 267,816      || {{decrease}}67.7%
|-
! 2021
| 609,069      || {{increase}}127.4%
|-
! 2022
| 757,567      || {{increase}}24.4%
|-
! 2023
| 803,184      || {{increase}}6.0%
|}

==Accidents and incidents==
* 7 December 2009 – An [[Embraer ERJ 135]] (''registration:ZS-SJW'') operated by [[Airlink]] on a scheduled flight (''SA-8625'') overran the runway in wet conditions and ended up on a public road. There were no fatalities, but the plane suffered substantial damage.<ref name="AH-SA-8625">{{cite web|url=http://avherald.com/h?article=423d32af&opt=0|title=Accident: SA Airlink E135 at George on Dec 7th 2009, overran runway|last=Hradecky|first=Simon|date=2009-12-07|work=The Aviation Herald|accessdate=7 December 2009}}</ref><ref name="M&G-SA-8625">{{cite news|url=http://www.mg.co.za/article/2009-12-07-airlink-plane-overshoots-george-runway|title=Airlink plane overshoots George runway|date=2009-12-07|publisher=[[Mail & Guardian]]|accessdate=7 December 2009}}</ref> The accident was caused by an incorrect sealant used on the runway, and the airline was cleared of all blame. Airlink's insurers took legal action against the state-owned [[Airports Company of South Africa]].<ref>[http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/Content.aspx?id=108267 Business Day – Airlink in clear, Acsa blamed for George near-disaster]</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of airports in South Africa]]
* [[List of South African airports by passenger movements]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category-inline}}
* {{official website|http://www.airports.co.za/airports/george-airport/}}
* [http://aviation.weathersa.co.za/webcams/george-ptz-ghbb-capture5.jpg Weather SA – George Airport webcam ] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081118171945/http://aviation.weathersa.co.za/webcams/george-ptz-ghbb-capture5.jpg |date=18 November 2008 }}

{{Portalbar|South Africa|Aviation}}
{{Passenger airports of South Africa}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Transport in the Western Cape]]
[[Category:Airports in South Africa]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in the Western Cape]]
[[Category:Airports of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan]]
[[Category:Garden Route District Municipality]]