# Pierre Van Ryneveld Airport (UTN)

> Upington, ZA · IATA: UTN · ICAO: FAUP · Medium Airport · Cargo Hub

## Quick Facts

| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| IATA | `UTN` |
| ICAO | `FAUP` |
| City | Upington |
| Country | ZA |
| Type | Medium Airport |
| Elevation | 848 m |
| Cargo | ✅ |
| GPS | -28.39910, 21.26020 |

## Description

Conceived so a fully laden Boeing 747 could lift off for Europe without a fuel stop, Upington's runway 17/35 stretches 4,900 metres — among the longest anywhere. The airport's high elevation near 850 metres and the searing Kalahari heat dictated that extreme length. Set on the Orange River in the Northern Cape, it sits in South Africa's prime table-grape and raisin district. Each austral summer, from November to January, chartered freighters lift fresh grapes from here straight to European markets. Carmakers also fly test fleets in and out to exploit the dry winter-season heat for vehicle trials. Airports Company South Africa runs the field, with customs handled by the South African Revenue Service. Since 2025, ACSA has been developing an aviation park of about 55 hectares for MRO and cargo-related tenants. The N10 and N14 roads link it toward Namibia and the Cape ports, while scheduled general freight still routes through OR Tambo in Johannesburg.

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*Freight Academy — Airport Profile: [https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/airports/pierre-van-ryneveld-airport-utn](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/airports/pierre-van-ryneveld-airport-utn)*

*Markdown mirror: [https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/airports/en/pierre-van-ryneveld-airport-utn](https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/airports/en/pierre-van-ryneveld-airport-utn)*

*LLM-Summary (JSON): https://www.freight-academy.com/api/v1/airports/pierre-van-ryneveld-airport-utn/llm-summary*