# Bisho Airport (BIY)

> Bisho, ZA · IATA: BIY · ICAO: FABE · Medium Airport

## Quick Facts

| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| IATA | `BIY` |
| ICAO | `FABE` |
| City | Bisho |
| Country | ZA |
| Type | Medium Airport |
| Elevation | 594 m |
| Cargo | ❌ |
| GPS | -32.89710, 27.27910 |

## Description

The users of Bhisho Airport (BIY/FABE) today are the South African National Defence Force's airborne unit and the South African Police Service Airwing, joined by government and private charter movements — not airlines. The Eastern Cape field, serving Bhisho and Qonce, carries no scheduled commercial services and offers no freight handling, air cargo customs post or resident cargo carriers. In 2023 the United Arab Emirates funded a refurbishment worth around R20 million ahead of a state visit. The provincial government says it has approval to run Bhisho as an international cargo facility for agricultural exports and the automotive sector, but South Africa's regulator SACAA stated in August 2026 that it had received no application to licence the airport for cargo operations. Until that changes, regional air freight moves through King Phalo Airport at East London (ELS), about 60 km away, and Chief Dawid Stuurman International at Gqeberha (PLZ), with intercontinental consolidation via O. R. Tambo in Johannesburg (JNB). For shippers, the cargo project remains an announcement rather than a capability.

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*Freight Academy — Airport Profile: [https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/airports/bisho-airport-biy](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/airports/bisho-airport-biy)*

*Markdown mirror: [https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/airports/en/bisho-airport-biy](https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/airports/en/bisho-airport-biy)*

*LLM-Summary (JSON): https://www.freight-academy.com/api/v1/airports/bisho-airport-biy/llm-summary*