CPT

Cape Town Intl Airport (CPT) Flights & Information

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— CPT
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Cape Town Intl Airport (CPT) Flight Information

Find helpful information about Cape Town Intl Airport (CPT) to aid in your flight search on Cheapflights.

Airport code

CPT

Daily departures

1,723

Daily arrivals

1,762

Most popular destination

JNB (Johannesburg)

Cheapest destination

PLZ (Port Elizabeth)

Average flight price

$1,224
Average number of daily flights departing from CPT
Average number of daily flights to CPT
Average for round-trip flights in January 2025

Cape Town Intl Airport Guide

John Walton
October 28, 2024

Cape Town International Airport (CPT) is the main airport serving the Western Cape of South Africa. It’s located roughly 12 miles southeast of central Cape Town and is the biggest international airport in South Africa after Johannesburg.

Long-haul flights arrive direct from Atlanta, Newark/New York and Washington DC with Delta Air Lines and United Airlines, as well as from the major European connecting hubs like London, Paris and Frankfurt, plus several of the Middle Eastern hubs as well. You can also fly internationally from a number of other African cities, and there are many domestic destinations within South Africa.

Cape Town International Airport terminals and layout

Cape Town International Airport is helpfully very compact, stretching from north to south in a single building all under one roof. Within that building, the international gates are found to the north in the international terminal, with the domestic gates to the south in the domestic terminal, connected by the central terminal building.

All ground transportation, pick-ups and drop-offs, as well as check-in desks, are in the central terminal building. However, baggage reclaim is separated by terminal, with international passport control and customs checks also taking place in the international terminal. You’ll arrive into the central terminal building once you have your luggage (and have cleared customs if needed) to continue onwards.

There are 2 hotels near the airport, the Road Lodge and the Hotel Verde, but both require quite the walk to reach them from the terminal buildings. It’s very quick to get into the center of Cape Town in any case, so I recommend going there instead.

Arriving at CPT

Cape Town arrivals is pretty simple thanks to its single-building layout. Domestically, just head to baggage claim, pick up checked luggage if you have it and then continue on to ground transportation. Internationally, you’ll add arrivals passport control before collecting your bag and going to customs afterwards, but these are fairly standard procedures you’d find at most international airports.

You’ll probably want to complete the South African Traveller Declaration System paperwork online before leaving home rather than bothering with the old TC-01 paper form, although the online system is voluntary. I usually print a copy once done and fold it into my passport rather than trusting that my phone will still be charged and working when I arrive, but I can be a little old-school when it comes to official paperwork.

Whether you’re connecting at Johannesburg for Cape Town or connecting at Cape Town for somewhere else, note that in South Africa you will collect your luggage and go through customs at your first point of entry. If you have a checked bag and an onward flight, you’ll need to claim your bag at the first airport where you arrive, go through customs there and re-check it at your airline desk.

I got into the habit of checking the final airport listed on my bag tag many years ago, and I recommend it for every flight – especially to Cape Town, since I’ve heard of bags tagged incorrectly for CAP (an airport at Cap-Haïtien in Haiti) rather than CPT.

Getting to and from CPT by public transportation

Your public transportation options from Cape Town International Airport into the city are fairly limited at present. A couple of shuttle bus operators are authorized by the airport to run shared shuttles (check out the airport website for booking details) and more claim to be authorized on their websites but I’d be pretty careful about using any unauthorized service.

I’d usually go for an Uber or Bolt since those options are inexpensive, convenient and come in a variety of sizes for smaller or larger traveling parties and varying amounts of luggage.

How to get to and from Cape Town International Airport by car

Jumping in a taxi or summoning a ride via the Uber or Bolt rideshare apps is the easiest option to get into Cape Town – they’re usually called e-hailing here. I keep both apps on my phone because their surge pricing differs, and in case one has an unusually long wait.

The apps may ask you to choose from separate pickup areas for domestic and international arrivals, but may well take you to the same main pickup area in one of the Parkade car park buildings. Just be sure to follow the instructions in the app you choose.

If you prefer not to use the apps, there’s an authorized taxi service that’s clearly marked with a black-and-white checked logo. As you exit baggage claim into arrivals, you’ll likely run the usual gauntlet of people offering you an unauthorized taxi into town. Taking an unauthorized taxi anywhere in the world is not the best plan. Keep walking and look for the desk that’s marked “Authorised Airport Taxi.”

Whether you prefer the rideshare app or taxi way of getting yourself a ride, it should take you between 20 and 40 minutes to get to your destination, depending on how far you’re going in the city itself and on the time of day.

Security lines and departures at Cape Town International Airport

Since CPT is one big building, it’s pretty easy and convenient to get dropped off by taxi or rideshare car (or a friend or family member) and to find your way to check-in. Enter through the main building and all the check-in desks (and in some cases bag drops, if all you need to do is drop your checked luggage) are right there, with clear signage by airline.

You’ll then head through security and on to your gate, but if you’re hungry – or just very early arriving at the airport – there are a few options for food and drinks in the mezzanine level.

Liquid, aerosol and gel restrictions for hand luggage apply only to international flights in South Africa – on a domestic flight you can bring full-sized toiletries, drinks and so on with you. The international flight restrictions are the standard ones: all liquids, aerosols and gels must be in containers measuring no more than 100 milliliters (3.4 fluid ounces) each, all inside a resealable transparent plastic bag of 1 liter (slightly larger than 1 quart).

There is a security fast track for eligible passengers (your airline will tell you if that’s you) but I wouldn’t pay extra to use it. The general lines are not that long, so it’s rarely worth the expense. South Africa requires an exit passport control for international passengers, and this line can get quite long at peak times, so do arrive in plenty of time to avoid any stress in that situation.

Lounges and free Wi-Fi at CPT

Cape Town is pretty well served by airport lounges, both internationally and domestically. In the international terminal, third party operator Bidvest has 2 Premier Lounges, which it calls numbers 1 and 2. These are open to business/first class passengers (and some frequent flyers) from airlines that contract with them, as well as to passengers who book separately. Prices are pretty reasonable and both have showers.

Still on the international side, South African Airways, Emirates and British Airways all have their own dedicated airline lounges. Check with the airlines for the specific rules and requirements for getting in, but it tends to be their own business class passengers, business class passengers on partner airlines, their own frequent flyers and partner airline frequent flyers flying an eligible airline (their own flights or a partner’s).

In the domestic terminal, South African Airways has its own lounge and there are 2 independent lounges – Bidvest’s Premier Lounge and the SLOW Lounge. Both are available to business class passengers on airlines that have contracts with them, while anyone can book into the Premier Lounge for a fee.

I tend to feel like paying for entry to these lounges is less necessary before a short domestic flight, but it can be nice to freshen up with a shower on a hot day.

Priority Pass members have access to all 3 of the Bidvest Premier Lounges. Star Alliance (including Air Canada and United Airlines) and oneworld (including Alaska Airlines and American Airlines) frequent flyers should head to the South African Airways and British Airways lounges, respectively, but only if you’re flying on those airlines on the day.

Wi-Fi at Cape Town International Airport is free. Look for the "# AIRPORTS FREE Wi-Fi” network. The airport operator says that you’ll be cut off after 1GB or 4 hours, after which there’s a paid option – I’ve never burned through the limit, but it’s probably best to download movies for the flight from your hotel ahead of time so you don’t reach it yourself once you’re there.

This Cheapflights-commissioned article is presented as-is, for general informational purposes only, and may not be up-to-date. The opinions contained in the article are original to the author and reflect their authentic experience, which may vary significantly from the experience of others. Find more perspectives in our user reviews below.

Cheap flights to Cape Town Intl Airport in January and February 2025

Find deals on flights to Cape Town Intl Airport (CPT) in January and February 2025. Deals are based on recent searches Cheapflights users made over the past 12 months. Click “Pick Dates” to customize your flight criteria, and browse current flight deals from travel providers.
Wed 1/229:21 pmPHL - CPT
1 stop31h 49mMultiple Airlines
Wed 2/510:00 pmCPT - PHL
1 stop22h 30mMultiple Airlines
Deal found 12/31$910
Fri 1/178:30 pmBWI - CPT
1 stop32h 40mMultiple Airlines
Tue 1/2110:00 pmCPT - BWI
1 stop27h 45mMultiple Airlines
Deal found 1/1$910
Mon 1/209:35 pmEWR - CPT
1 stop29h 45mAmerican Airlines
Sun 2/210:00 pmCPT - EWR
1 stop23h 00mAmerican Airlines
Deal found 12/30$910
Sat 1/259:21 pmPHL - CPT
1 stop29h 59mAmerican Airlines
Wed 2/56:45 pmCPT - PHL
1 stop28h 35mAmerican Airlines
Deal found 1/1$912
Sun 1/199:35 pmEWR - CPT
1 stop29h 45mBritish Airways
Mon 2/310:00 pmCPT - EWR
1 stop23h 00mBritish Airways
Deal found 12/31$921
Wed 1/228:30 pmBWI - CPT
1 stop30h 50mAmerican Airlines
Mon 1/2710:00 pmCPT - BWI
2 stops28h 57mAmerican Airlines
Deal found 12/31$929
Fri 1/176:40 pmEWR - CPT
1 stop34h 30mMultiple Airlines
Thu 1/3010:00 pmCPT - EWR
2 stops27h 27mMultiple Airlines
Deal found 12/31$935
Fri 1/319:25 pmIAD - CPT
1 stop31h 35mTurkish Airlines
Sun 2/25:15 pmCPT - IAD
1 stop26h 00mTurkish Airlines
Deal found 12/31$961
Mon 1/277:37 pmIAD - CPT
3 stops58h 58mMultiple Airlines
Mon 2/32:30 pmCPT - IAD
3 stops35h 26mMultiple Airlines
Deal found 12/31$962
Sat 1/189:55 pmIAD - CPT
1 stop29h 25mBritish Airways
Wed 3/1910:00 pmCPT - IAD
1 stop24h 35mBritish Airways
Deal found 12/30$980
Fri 1/178:30 pmBWI - CPT
1 stop32h 40mBritish Airways
Tue 3/188:55 pmCPT - BWI
1 stop28h 50mBritish Airways
Deal found 12/30$1,008
Wed 1/2210:00 amIAD - CPT
1 stop21h 30mEthiopian Air
Mon 1/272:35 pmCPT - IAD
2 stops24h 25mEthiopian Air
Deal found 12/31$1,017

Round-trip flights to Cape Town Intl Airport (CPT)

Find deals on round-trip flights to Cape Town Intl Airport. Deals are based on recent searches made by Cheapflights users over the past 12 months. Click “Pick Dates” to customize your flight criteria, and browse current flight deals from travel providers.
Sat 2/19:35 pmEWR - CPT
1 stop29h 45mAmerican Airlines
Fri 2/76:45 pmCPT - EWR
1 stop26h 15mAmerican Airlines
Deal found 1/1$909
Thu 3/2010:15 pmPHL - CPT
1 stop31h 55mMultiple Airlines
Sun 3/2310:00 pmCPT - PHL
1 stop25h 20mMultiple Airlines
Deal found 12/31$910
Sun 1/199:35 pmEWR - CPT
1 stop29h 45mBritish Airways
Mon 2/310:00 pmCPT - EWR
1 stop23h 00mBritish Airways
Deal found 12/31$921
Tue 1/281:00 pmLAX - CPT
1 stop37h 00mTurkish Airlines
Tue 2/45:15 pmCPT - LAX
1 stop27h 50mTurkish Airlines
Deal found 12/29$945
Wed 1/2210:00 amIAD - CPT
1 stop21h 30mEthiopian Air
Mon 1/272:35 pmCPT - IAD
2 stops24h 25mEthiopian Air
Deal found 12/31$1,017
Wed 2/51:45 pmJFK - CPT
2 stops40h 50mKenya Airways
Sat 2/152:15 pmCPT - JFK
1 stop23h 20mKenya Airways
Deal found 12/31$1,050
Mon 3/37:35 pmATL - CPT
1 stop31h 55mQatar Airways
Thu 4/31:00 pmCPT - ATL
1 stop32h 55mQatar Airways
Deal found 12/31$1,120
Mon 2/1010:33 amPHL - CPT
1 stop25h 27mDelta
Fri 2/219:15 pmCPT - PHL
1 stop22h 13mDelta
Deal found 12/31$1,235
Mon 2/106:15 amPHL - CPT
1 stop26h 55mUnited Airlines
Sun 2/238:50 pmCPT - PHL
1 stop20h 01mUnited Airlines
Deal found 12/31$1,276
Wed 3/195:33 pmPHL - CPT
2 stops21h 57mKLM
Mon 3/2411:20 pmCPT - PHL
2 stops29h 56mKLM
Deal found 12/30$1,292
Fri 1/178:40 pmEWR - CPT
Nonstop14h 20mLufthansa
Thu 1/308:50 pmCPT - EWR
Nonstop16h 00mLufthansa
Deal found 12/31$1,302
Wed 1/299:15 amLAX - CPT
2 stops40h 55mIberia
Wed 2/56:45 pmCPT - LAX
2 stops36h 30mIberia
Deal found 12/30$1,310

Flights departing from Cape Town Intl Airport (CPT)

Find deals on round-trip flights from Cape Town Intl Airport (CPT). Deals are based on recent searches made by Cheapflights users over the past 12 months. Click “Pick Dates” to customize your flight criteria, and browse current flight deals from travel providers.
Tue 3/111:50 pmCPT - IAD
2 stops25h 10mEthiopian Air
Wed 4/2311:00 amIAD - CPT
1 stop21h 30mEthiopian Air
Deal found 1/1$817
Tue 1/147:50 pmCPT - EWR
1 stop31h 40mSWISS
Tue 1/216:45 pmEWR - CPT
1 stop20h 10mSWISS
Deal found 1/1$833
Sat 2/158:50 pmCPT - EWR
Nonstop16h 00mUnited Airlines
Sat 2/2210:00 amEWR - CPT
1 stop23h 10mUnited Airlines
Deal found 1/1$839
Thu 1/238:50 pmCPT - EWR
Nonstop16h 00mMultiple Airlines
Thu 3/139:50 pmEWR - CPT
1 stop27h 50mMultiple Airlines
Deal found 12/31$843
Thu 1/239:30 amCPT - JFK
1 stop37h 10mLufthansa
Thu 3/136:30 pmJFK - CPT
1 stop31h 10mLufthansa
Deal found 12/31$861
Sun 2/99:15 pmCPT - JFK
1 stop28h 04mDelta
Thu 2/276:00 amJFK - CPT
1 stop30h 00mDelta
Deal found 1/1$875
Fri 1/248:05 amCPT - JFK
1 stop34h 33mKLM
Mon 3/105:40 pmJFK - CPT
1 stop21h 50mKLM
Deal found 12/31$882
Wed 1/223:20 pmCPT - JFK
2 stops26h 20mAir France
Thu 3/1310:30 pmJFK - CPT
1 stop26h 00mAir France
Deal found 12/31$909
Thu 2/62:25 pmCPT - JFK
2 stops23h 10mKenya Airways
Mon 2/241:45 pmJFK - CPT
1 stop24h 55mKenya Airways
Deal found 12/31$913
Tue 3/115:15 pmCPT - IAD
1 stop33h 15mTurkish Airlines
Wed 4/239:40 pmIAD - CPT
1 stop32h 10mTurkish Airlines
Deal found 12/31$951
Wed 6/46:55 pmCPT - IAD
1 stop28h 40mBritish Airways
Wed 6/257:25 pmIAD - CPT
1 stop33h 35mBritish Airways
Deal found 12/31$1,022
Fri 3/211:40 pmCPT - JFK
1 stop30h 45mEmirates
Mon 3/3111:20 amJFK - CPT
1 stop23h 30mEmirates
Deal found 12/31$1,034

Flights to Cape Town Intl Airport (CPT) departing soon

Find deals on flights to Cape Town Intl Airport (CPT) leaving in the next seven days. Deals are based on recent searches made by Cheapflights users over the past 12 months. Click “Pick Dates” to customize your flight criteria, and browse current flight deals from travel providers.
Sat 1/119:55 pmIAD - CPT
1 stop31h 15mBritish Airways
Tue 1/2810:00 pmCPT - IAD
1 stop24h 35mBritish Airways
Deal found 12/31$1,247
Fri 1/1010:00 pmDCA - CPT
2 stops29h 20mAmerican Airlines
Tue 1/288:55 pmCPT - DCA
2 stops26h 46mAmerican Airlines
Deal found 12/31$1,258
Sat 1/118:30 pmBWI - CPT
1 stop32h 40mBritish Airways
Thu 1/308:50 pmCPT - BWI
1 stop28h 55mBritish Airways
Deal found 12/31$1,275
Sat 1/119:35 pmEWR - CPT
1 stop29h 45mAmerican Airlines
Mon 1/208:50 pmCPT - EWR
1 stop24h 10mAmerican Airlines
Deal found 12/31$1,309
Sat 1/118:40 pmJFK - CPT
1 stop30h 40mAmerican Airlines
Mon 1/2010:00 pmCPT - JFK
1 stop21h 40mAmerican Airlines
Deal found 12/31$1,309
Thu 1/96:57 pmIAD - CPT
2 stops56h 23mMultiple Airlines
Wed 1/1510:00 pmCPT - IAD
1 stop24h 35mMultiple Airlines
Deal found 1/1$1,390
Fri 1/108:30 pmBWI - CPT
1 stop32h 40mMultiple Airlines
Tue 1/288:55 pmCPT - BWI
1 stop28h 50mMultiple Airlines
Deal found 12/31$1,392
Fri 1/108:55 pmLAX - CPT
1 stop29h 15mBritish Airways
Wed 1/298:40 pmCPT - LAX
1 stop27h 00mBritish Airways
Deal found 12/31$1,401
Fri 1/109:35 pmEWR - CPT
1 stop29h 45mBritish Airways
Fri 1/176:45 pmCPT - EWR
1 stop26h 15mBritish Airways
Deal found 12/31$1,402
Fri 1/1010:00 amIAD - CPT
1 stop21h 30mEthiopian Air
Tue 1/281:50 pmCPT - IAD
2 stops25h 10mEthiopian Air
Deal found 12/31$1,405
Sat 1/111:45 pmJFK - CPT
2 stops26h 05mMultiple Airlines
Mon 1/208:20 pmCPT - JFK
2 stops41h 15mMultiple Airlines
Deal found 1/1$1,453
Thu 1/95:30 pmSFO - CPT
1 stop30h 50mBritish Airways
Tue 1/2110:00 pmCPT - SFO
1 stop30h 45mBritish Airways
Deal found 12/31$1,467

Cape Town Intl Airport (CPT) flight status

Find the status of flights flying to and from Cape Town Intl Airport (CPT). Search by flight number or origin/destination and date/time to find the specific flight(s) you’re interested in.
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Fri 1/3
5:00 am

Reviews of airlines servicing Cape Town Intl Airport (CPT)

Read reviews of airlines servicing Cape Town Intl Airport (CPT). Use this information to make informed decisions when choosing an airline for your flight to or from Cape Town Intl Airport (CPT). Reviews last updated January 1, 2025.
8.1
Very good
3,364 reviews

Crew

8.3

Comfort

8.0

Boarding

8.1

Entertainment

8.2

Food

7.9

Overall

8.1

Reviews

1 / 10

Not so good. Flight was departed 2 hours late from DC and we missed our connecting flight from Dubai to Mumbai. Our flight Dubai to Mumbai got delayed by three hours. Once we arrived Bombay airport we didnot get all our luggage bags. We were missing two luggage bags so found out that our those two luggage bags are coming in different flight. First they gave us wrong flight information in which our missing luggage coming and wrong phone number to whom we should reach out. I spent hours and hours at the airport to find out our luggage bags. After four five hours later and hectic time at the airport to get our luggage bags. Overall poor communication with emirates staff at the airport and no one is helpful.

8.1
Very good
3,364 reviews
8.1
Very good
3,364 reviews

Crew

8.3

Comfort

8.0

Boarding

8.1

Entertainment

8.2

Food

7.9

Overall

8.1

Reviews

1 / 10

Not so good. Flight was departed 2 hours late from DC and we missed our connecting flight from Dubai to Mumbai. Our flight Dubai to Mumbai got delayed by three hours. Once we arrived Bombay airport we didnot get all our luggage bags. We were missing two luggage bags so found out that our those two luggage bags are coming in different flight. First they gave us wrong flight information in which our missing luggage coming and wrong phone number to whom we should reach out. I spent hours and hours at the airport to find out our luggage bags. After four five hours later and hectic time at the airport to get our luggage bags. Overall poor communication with emirates staff at the airport and no one is helpful.

8.0
Very good
8,537 reviews
8.1
Very good
3,364 reviews

Crew

8.3

Comfort

8.0

Boarding

8.1

Entertainment

8.2

Food

7.9

Overall

8.1

Reviews

1 / 10

Not so good. Flight was departed 2 hours late from DC and we missed our connecting flight from Dubai to Mumbai. Our flight Dubai to Mumbai got delayed by three hours. Once we arrived Bombay airport we didnot get all our luggage bags. We were missing two luggage bags so found out that our those two luggage bags are coming in different flight. First they gave us wrong flight information in which our missing luggage coming and wrong phone number to whom we should reach out. I spent hours and hours at the airport to find out our luggage bags. After four five hours later and hectic time at the airport to get our luggage bags. Overall poor communication with emirates staff at the airport and no one is helpful.

8.0
Very good
9,601 reviews
8.1
Very good
3,364 reviews

Crew

8.3

Comfort

8.0

Boarding

8.1

Entertainment

8.2

Food

7.9

Overall

8.1

Reviews

1 / 10

Not so good. Flight was departed 2 hours late from DC and we missed our connecting flight from Dubai to Mumbai. Our flight Dubai to Mumbai got delayed by three hours. Once we arrived Bombay airport we didnot get all our luggage bags. We were missing two luggage bags so found out that our those two luggage bags are coming in different flight. First they gave us wrong flight information in which our missing luggage coming and wrong phone number to whom we should reach out. I spent hours and hours at the airport to find out our luggage bags. After four five hours later and hectic time at the airport to get our luggage bags. Overall poor communication with emirates staff at the airport and no one is helpful.

7.8
Good
1,342 reviews
8.1
Very good
3,364 reviews

Crew

8.3

Comfort

8.0

Boarding

8.1

Entertainment

8.2

Food

7.9

Overall

8.1

Reviews

1 / 10

Not so good. Flight was departed 2 hours late from DC and we missed our connecting flight from Dubai to Mumbai. Our flight Dubai to Mumbai got delayed by three hours. Once we arrived Bombay airport we didnot get all our luggage bags. We were missing two luggage bags so found out that our those two luggage bags are coming in different flight. First they gave us wrong flight information in which our missing luggage coming and wrong phone number to whom we should reach out. I spent hours and hours at the airport to find out our luggage bags. After four five hours later and hectic time at the airport to get our luggage bags. Overall poor communication with emirates staff at the airport and no one is helpful.

7.5
Good
3,756 reviews
8.1
Very good
3,364 reviews

Crew

8.3

Comfort

8.0

Boarding

8.1

Entertainment

8.2

Food

7.9

Overall

8.1

Reviews

1 / 10

Not so good. Flight was departed 2 hours late from DC and we missed our connecting flight from Dubai to Mumbai. Our flight Dubai to Mumbai got delayed by three hours. Once we arrived Bombay airport we didnot get all our luggage bags. We were missing two luggage bags so found out that our those two luggage bags are coming in different flight. First they gave us wrong flight information in which our missing luggage coming and wrong phone number to whom we should reach out. I spent hours and hours at the airport to find out our luggage bags. After four five hours later and hectic time at the airport to get our luggage bags. Overall poor communication with emirates staff at the airport and no one is helpful.

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