Bitou Municipality’s stakeholder engagement sheds important information on the current state and future of the Plettenberg Bay Airport.

An important stakeholder engagement regarding the current status and future of the Plettenberg Bay Airport took place in the Bitou Council Chambers on Friday, 16 May 2025. This engagement, preceded by a site visit earlier in the morning, was well attended by members of the public, stakeholder groups, and potential investors.

It is a well-known fact that the Plettenberg Bay Airport has been under the management of Bitou Municipality since 1 March 2025.

The site visit highlighted structural challenges with the runway, which impact the license category issued by the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA). The airport holds a Category 2 license, allowing for general aviation operations only, with larger scheduled commercial operations not permitted.

The municipality envisions that scheduled commercial aviation operations might only be possible in the last quarter of 2026.

The short-term vision is to initiate an open and transparent procurement process to appoint a suitably qualified service provider to manage this important asset on behalf of the Bitou Municipality and the residents of Plettenberg Bay.

The lessons learned from the past process must be addressed in the upcoming one, ensuring that the rights of different stakeholders are included and protected. This will avoid any conflicts that may be detrimental to maximizing the socio-economic impact that the airport could yield in terms of tourism growth, job creation, and attracting investment.

The tender process will commence as soon as possible and will comply with the relevant legislative and policy framework governing procurement and this sector.

For further comments, please contact Mr. Andile Namntu, Manager Corporate Communications and Customer Relations, at the provided phone numbers or email: Phone: (27) 445013006 or (27) 767348483.Email: anamntu@plett.gov.za