King Shaka International Airport

King Shaka International Airport, abbreviated KSIA, is the primary international airport serving Durban, South Africa. Located in La Mercy, KwaZulu-Natal, approximately 35 km north of the city centre of Durban, it opened its doors to passengers on 1 May 2010, just over a month before the start of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It replaced Durban International Airport and uses the same IATA airport code. The airport was designed by Osmond Lange Architects and Planners and cost R6,800,000,000 (about US$900 million. In spite of the high costs, the airport was designed without a viewing deck and travelators.

Although the larger airport was built to grow the area’s international services, it is also a key airport for domestic services throughout South Africa, serving the “Golden Triangle” between Cape Town International Airport, O. R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, and KSIA itself with 7 passenger and 2 cargo airlines offering domestic air services.

The airport forms part of the Dube TradePort, which will additionally consist of a trade zone linked to the airport’s cargo terminal, facilities to support the airport such as nearby offices and transit accommodation for tourists, an integrated agricultural export zone, and an IT platform.