Mahikeng Airport

Airport in Mmabatho

Location of North West in South Africa

Direction	Length	Surface
m	ft
04/22	4,499	14,760	Asphalt

Direction

Length

Surface

04/22

4,499

14,760

Asphalt

Mahikeng Airport or Mmabatho Airport^[4] (IATA: MBD, ICAO: FAMM) is an airport serving Mahikeng and Mmabatho, the current and former capital cities of the North West province in South Africa. The airport is widely known as Mafikeng Airport after Mahikeng's former name.^[5] The airport is managed by the North West Province Department of Transport and Roads. The airport is a former air force base of the Boputhatswana Defence Force^[4] and was previously classified as an international airport.^[5] As of 2014, discussions and construction was in progress in order for the airport to regain its status as an international airport.^[6]^[7]

History

The airport is home to a flying club called the Mafikeng Flying Club. The club was formed in 1971.^[8] The air base was taken over and used as a base by members of the Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging during the Bophuthatswana coup d'état of 1994.^[4]

The airport's international license was suspended by the South African Civil Aviation Authority on 16 April 2001 with immediate effect due to issues with security, fire and airport management.^[9]

The airport is used by private aircraft operators as passenger flights stopped in 2009 due to the airport failing to comply with various regulations.^[7] Scheduled commercial flights by South African Express resumed in 2015 and were suspended in June 2018.^[10]

Facilities

The airport resides at an elevation of 4,181 feet (1,274 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway designated 04/22 with an asphalt surface measuring 4,499 by 45 metres (14,760 ft × 148 ft) as well as asphalt taxiways.^[5]^[1]

As of 2014, the airport is undergoing an expansion that includes re-marking runways and taxiways as well as installing a new instrument landing system that should allow Mahikeng airport to regain its international status.^[6] The cost of the expansion project was R15 million with a further R30 million being spent in order to ensure the project is completed within 2014.^[11] The expansion is intended to make Mahikeng airport a major cargo hub in the North West province that can be used to export various agricultural products produced within the province.^[7] Mahikeng airport has all the necessary facilities for customs control. The airport does not have international certification, however these facilities can be made operational again if needed.^[5]

References

^ ^a ^b "Aerodrome chart for MAFIKENG - FAMM" (PDF). South African Civil Aviation Authority. 26 August 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 September 2012.
^ Airport information for FAMM^[usurped] from DAFIF (effective October 2006)
^ Airport information for MBD at Great Circle Mapper. Source: DAFIF (effective October 2006).
^ ^a ^b ^c Dixon, Norm (23 March 1994). "Mandela: 'A lesson they will never forget'". Green Left Weekly. Archived from the original on 11 September 2014. Retrieved 11 September 2014. Mmabatho's Bophuthatswana Air Base
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Mahikeng Airport". Tourism North West. Archived from the original on 15 August 2014. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
^ ^a ^b "North West Government hosts Mahikeng Airport City Project stakeholders roundtable". South Africa Government Online. 28 January 2014. Archived from the original on 26 October 2014. Retrieved 26 October 2014.
^ ^a ^b ^c Torerai, ELFAS (23 June 2014). "We want an airport city to arise at Mahikeng". Africa News Network. Archived from the original on 11 September 2014. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
^ "About Mafikeng Flying Club". Mafikeng Flying Club. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
^ "CAA Suspends Mafikeng Airport Licence". South African Civil Aviation Authority Online. South African Civil Aviation Authority. 16 April 2001. Archived from the original on 11 September 2014. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
^ "Mafikeng Airport back in business". Independent Online. ANA. 4 September 2015. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
^ "Freight hub in the pipeline for Mahikeng airport". South African Government News Agency. 12 September 2013. Archived from the original on 11 September 2014. Retrieved 11 September 2014.