# Chief Dawid Stuurman International Airport (PLZ)

> Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), ZA · IATA: PLZ · ICAO: FAPE · Medium Airport · Cargo Hub

## Quick Facts

| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| IATA | `PLZ` |
| ICAO | `FAPE` |
| City | Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) |
| Country | ZA |
| Type | Medium Airport |
| Elevation | 69 m |
| Cargo | ✅ |
| GPS | -33.98490, 25.61730 |

## Description

Unlike South Africa's two big freight gateways, Chief Dawid Stuurman International (PLZ/FAPE) in Gqeberha — formerly Port Elizabeth — moves its goods almost entirely as belly cargo, with the operator ACSA citing more than 1.2 million passengers and over 800 tonnes of freight a year, though without stating the reference year. Frozen lobster, cut flowers, meat, mushrooms and ostrich hides are the typical exports. Swissport has run ground handling and a modern air cargo warehouse here since 2008, alongside a Menzies Aviation station; scheduled freighter operations are not confirmed. Planners should note that South African air navigation provider ATNS suspended the airport's instrument flight procedures on 10 October 2025 over missed maintenance intervals, causing delays and diversions in the coastal weather typical of the area, with no confirmed date for reinstatement. The airport lies about three kilometres south of the city centre, inside the Eastern Cape automotive cluster, and roughly 21 kilometres from the deepwater port of Ngqura at Coega, which makes sea-air combinations a realistic option. For time-critical or larger consignments, shippers commonly route via Cape Town (CPT) or Johannesburg O. R. Tambo (JNB).

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*Freight Academy — Airport Profile: [https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/airports/chief-dawid-stuurman-international-airport-plz](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/airports/chief-dawid-stuurman-international-airport-plz)*

*Markdown mirror: [https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/airports/en/chief-dawid-stuurman-international-airport-plz](https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/airports/en/chief-dawid-stuurman-international-airport-plz)*

*LLM-Summary (JSON): https://www.freight-academy.com/api/v1/airports/chief-dawid-stuurman-international-airport-plz/llm-summary*