Transform Your Flight Sim Experience
with In-Depth Tracking & Analysis
Track every flight, analyse your performance,
and master your flying skills with My FS Flights
Get 10 flights free every month!
Tracked and analysed flights over miles
Polokwane International Airport (FAPP), formerly Pietersburg and briefly known as Gateway International, lies a few kilometres north of Polokwane in South Africa's Limpopo province. Built on the site of a former South African Air Force base and opened in 1996, it now serves as the province's only international-status airport, handling scheduled Airlink services to Johannesburg alongside general aviation traffic. Its long, crossing runways and 24-hour tower make it a straightforward and interesting destination for a visiting VFR pilot.
Polokwane International Airport sits just north of the city of Polokwane, the provincial capital of Limpopo, South Africa. It occupies the site of a former air force base and has operated as a civil airport since 1996, having traded under the name Gateway International Airport for some years. It is owned and managed by the Gateway Airport Authority Limited on behalf of the Limpopo Provincial Government, and today combines scheduled airline service to Johannesburg with general aviation and freight movements, making it a notable stop for pilots touring the province. It should not be confused with the nearby Pietersburg Civil Aerodrome (FAPI).
The airport lies about 5 km north of Polokwane town, in Limpopo province, and is the only airport in the province with international status. It is served by a tower unit reported to operate around the clock, reflecting its status as a controlled aerodrome. Pilots planning a visit should expect to operate within controlled airspace associated with the field and to be worked by air traffic control throughout the visit.
Polokwane has two crossing runways. The 01/19 runway is 8,400 ft long with a hard surface and lit; runway 01 and runway 19 are each listed at this length. The other physical runway, 05/23, has a hard, lit surface with runway 05 published at 10,420 ft and fitted with an ILS, while the reciprocal runway 23 is published at 7,625 ft. Field elevation is 4,032 ft.
The tower frequency is 124.3 MHz. Runway 05 is equipped with an ILS, giving an instrument approach option for pilots arriving in poorer weather; no other navaids are detailed in the available information.
No specific circuit heights, joining procedures or noise abatement details are available; pilots should expect standard controlled-aerodrome procedures given the tower service and plan to obtain clearances and instructions from air traffic control before joining.
Polokwane International Airport opened in March 1996 on the site of a former South African Air Force base, which had held the ICAO code FAPB. For a period the airport traded as Gateway International Airport before adopting its current name, reflecting the renaming of the city itself from Pietersburg to Polokwane in 2005. Ownership and management passed to the Gateway Airport Authority Limited, a company established in March 1995 by the Limpopo Provincial Government to oversee the province's public airports. In April 2021 the South African Civil Aviation Authority downgraded the airport's licence category due to inadequate provision of safety services for scheduled commercial flights, prompting Airlink to suspend its services; the airport returned to full operation with Airlink flights resuming in March 2023.
The airport currently handles scheduled Airlink flights to Johannesburg–O.R. Tambo, with three flights a day on weekdays and two over the weekend as of 2023, alongside general aviation and air freight movements. It is described as having two diagonally crossing runways and a tower operated around the clock by air traffic services. As Limpopo's only airport with international status, it maintains police-managed facilities for international arrivals and departures. No simulator-specific scenery availability is noted in the available information, and no fuel, hours or PPR requirements are specified in the sources reviewed.
