Eastgate Airport is a gateway to the heartland of South Africa’s abundant wildlife.

With an average of 150 monthly flights and over 7000 passengers passing through its gates any given month, it needed an upgrade to better service its growing clientele of residents in the surrounding area and tourists visiting the Kruger National Park and private game reserves.

In mid-2020, with South Africa under lockdown due to the global pandemic and most flights suspended, the airport began its R20 million refurbishment.

A few of the renovations include:

• A complete overhaul of the entrance gate
• Installation of additional check-in counters to assist with the high volume of passengers
• Increase in the size of the departure lounge to allow for ample seating
• The curio shop and refreshment kiosk received a major revamp
• The size of the baggage claim area was increased

Another significant change was to the boarding gates. Previously the limited seating meant passengers had to wait in the hot sun until boarding. The facilities now offer a comfortable, sheltered waiting area where guests can relax before boarding.

In addition, the car park area was fitted with a large section of shading, sponsored by Kapama Private Game Reserve. Guests visiting Kapama now have the luxury of climbing onto shaded game vehicles before driving across the road to begin their safari adventure at one of Kapama’s four luxury 5-star lodges.

Return guests and residents of the area who previously used Eastgate Airport cannot believe the transformation. It’s much more spacious, check-in is smoother, luggage is handled quickly and the waiting area is much more comfortable.

Eastgate Airport currently operates private charter flights as well as scheduled flights from Airlink & CemAir. The flights from Johannesburg to Eastgate Airport (HDS) is just under an hour and a one-way ticket starts at around R1560 on Airlink and R1426 on CemAir. The flights from Cape Town are around 2 ½ hours. Being a CAT6/7 airport it can accommodate any sized aircraft from an Antonov 124 to an Airbus to a Papa Charlie.

Eastgate Airport is situated in the eastern reaches of South Africa’s Limpopo Province. Its origins stem from an unused portion of the Hoedspruit Airforce Base at the southern end of the airfield which was converted into a civilian airport known as Eastgate Airport in the late 1990s.

For flight schedules and COVID regulations, visit the Eastgate website here.