Airport
Bisho Airport (BIY)
Bisho Airport (BIY) is a local gateway serving Bhisho, the capital of the Eastern Cape, and the nearby town of King William’s Town (Qonce). Compare transfer options to Bhisho, King William’s Town, East London, and surrounding coastal and inland destinations, and plan your journey with ease.
Passengers
Luggage
About Bisho Airport
Bisho Airport, also known as Bulembu Airport, is a local airport in the Eastern Cape that serves Bhisho, the provincial capital, and nearby King William’s Town (Qonce). Built in the 1980s by the former Ciskei government and opened in 1988, it later became a provincial transport facility after the Ciskei homeland was absorbed in 1994.
The airport has a single 2,500-metre asphalt runway, which is long enough for narrow-body jets and larger freighters, and a modest passenger terminal. It is best known today as the base of 43 Air School, one of Africa’s major pilot training institutions, and it supports general aviation, flight training and specialised cargo rather than regular scheduled passenger services.
Located near Bulembu, roughly 16 km from central Bhisho and about 10 km from King William’s Town, the airport is reached by road and local taxi services, with private transfers providing onward travel to the Eastern Cape’s administrative centre, towns and coastal areas such as East London.
Facilities are limited compared with larger South African airports, but the terminal includes a waiting area, administrative offices and a fuel depot, and the airfield received upgrades in 2007 and 2023 to improve security, power resilience and operational capability.
Terminal Overview
Terminals
Bisho Airport operates through a single passenger terminal building that handles the limited number of private, charter, training and government flights using the airfield. The airport does not currently maintain separate domestic and international passenger terminals.
Ground Transportation Services to and from Bisho Airport
Transfers
Book private transfers from Bisho Airport to Bhisho, King William’s Town (Qonce), hotels, business locations and other destinations across the Eastern Cape.
Hourly Chauffeur
Arrange a professional chauffeur by the hour for flexible travel from the airport, business meetings, events or journeys around Bhisho and the surrounding region.
Car Rental
Rent a car from Bisho Airport for independent travel around Bhisho, King William’s Town and onward journeys to East London and other Eastern Cape destinations.
Bus & Group Transfers
Organize minibuses or charter buses for groups travelling between Bisho Airport, hotels, event venues, business locations and other destinations.
Frequently Asked Questions
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