DUR · Durban, South Africa
King Shaka International Airport.
--:--:-- · SAST (UTC+02:00) · 29.6144° S, 31.1197° E
King Shaka International Airport
Airport serving Durban, South Africa
Verification trail
Source-backed facts for DUR
This section separates stable airport identifiers from live operating data. Codes, coordinates, timezone, elevation, source identifiers, and accepted reference links are retained here; live arrivals, departures, gates, delays, NOTAMs, and airline schedule changes must still be checked with the airport or carrier.
Airport catalog
OurAirports ID 300795; ident FALE; scheduled service listed.
Cached airports.csv snapshot: 2026-04-25; runways.csv snapshot: 2026-05-21.
Official airport source
kingshakainternationalairport.co.za
Used as the preferred live-reference handoff for terminals, gates, alerts, and airport notices.
Open sourceReference summary
King Shaka International Airport
Airport-shaped reference summary from en.wikipedia.org; summary snapshot 2026-05-20.
Open sourceManual / derived signals
21 source-backed signals
Merged from OurAirports cached airports.csv, OurAirports cached runways.csv, Wikidata airport entity snapshot, airport-shaped Wikipedia summary snapshot; facts generated 2026-05-21.
IATA / ICAO
DUR / FALE
OurAirports ident
FALE
GPS / local code
FALE
ISO region
ZA-NL
Scheduled service
Listed in source snapshot
Role
international scheduled-service gateway
Official host
kingshakainternationalairport.co.za
Reference host
en.wikipedia.org
Wikidata entity
Q392728
Snapshot generated
2026-05-21
Airport lookup keys
Stable codes
Regional keys
Alternate names
Nearby airport codes
Route reference codes
Accepted citation URLs
Last updated May 21, 2026. Stable airport identifiers and timezone facts are content-reviewed; clocks render live in the browser, while weather and time-difference notes are page-snapshot aids rather than permanent airport records.
Live values rendered at Nov 5, 9:22 PM UTC.
What you need to know now
Local airport time
--:--:--SAST · UTC+02:00
Time zone
SAST
Africa/Johannesburg · UTC+02:00
Airfield conditions
Live airport weather is temporarily unavailable.
Surface access
28 km
Approximate distance to central Durban.
Official source
kingshakainternationalairport.co.zaOfficial airport website listed in the airport facts snapshot
Airport Snapshot
Country capital
Pretoria
Languages
Afrikaans, English
Currency
ZAR (R)
Country area
1,221,037 km²
Passenger volume
Source note unavailable
Terminals
Not clearly stated
Runways
1 runway
Longest runway
12,139 ft / 3,700 m
Runway surface
asphalt
Opened / operator
2010 · Airports Company South Africa
Owner / entity
Q392728
Hub airlines
Mixed or not clearly stated
Airport role
international scheduled-service gateway
Scheduled service
Listed
Fact coverage
21 source-backed signals
King Shaka International Airport is a international scheduled-service gateway for Durban, South Africa. Durban's built-up core sits roughly 28 km from the terminal area. Operations run on Africa/Johannesburg (UTC+02:00, SAST). Live weather is temporarily unavailable. With 3 other indexable airports in its surrounding network, it works well as a reference point for regional flight planning and timezone checks.
King Shaka International Airport (DUR / FALE) is at 29.6144° S, 31.1197° E, elevation 295 ft (90 m), serving Durban, South Africa.
The accepted reference summary is used as supporting context for the airport identity and operating notes; the timed facts here still come from the airport catalog, timezone database, country snapshot, and linked source trail.
Durban is in South Africa (capital Pretoria); regulated by South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA); on Africa/Johannesburg (SAST, UTC+02:00); working languages: Afrikaans, English, Southern Ndebele; currency: ZAR (R).
Distance from central Durban: 28 km.
Airport context brief
A compact traveler-facing brief from the airport catalog, country snapshot, route geometry, city anchors, peer airports, and source trail for DUR.
Name and identity cues
Primary airport name
King Shaka International Airport (DUR / FALE)
King Shaka International Airport · Airport serving Durban, South Africa
Known label 1
La Mercy Airport
Alternate airport-name cue retained for DUR, not a separate indexable duplicate page.
Source identifiers
FALE · FALE · ZA-NL
kingshakainternationalairport.co.za · en.wikipedia.org · scheduled service yes
Source-specific airport notes
Regional role cue
King Shaka International Airport, abbreviated KSIA, is the primary international airport serving Durban, South Africa.
Accepted from the airport reference trail as a role-specific cue for DUR; not treated as a live service guarantee.
Location cue
It is located in La Mercy, KwaZulu-Natal, approximately 35 km (22 mi) north of the city centre of Durban.
Used to make the airport page location-specific beyond the code, coordinate, and timezone record.
Name or history cue
The airport opened its doors to passengers on May 1, 2010, 41 days before the start of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Retained because history, naming, or opening context helps distinguish this airport from same-shaped airport pages.
Closest mapped city anchors
1. Tongaat
tongaat · 4.6 km from DUR
South Africa · Africa/Johannesburg · +0h · population 64,829 · city coordinates -29.5737, 31.1155
2. Ballitoville
ballitoville · 12 km from DUR
South Africa · Africa/Johannesburg · +0h · population 27,718 · city coordinates -29.5390, 31.2144
3. Shakaskraal
shakaskraal · 21 km from DUR
South Africa · Africa/Johannesburg · +0h · population 27,345 · city coordinates -29.4493, 31.2153
4. Ntuzuma
ntuzuma · 22 km from DUR
South Africa · Africa/Johannesburg · +0h · population 125,394 · city coordinates -29.7390, 30.9490
5. Durban
durban · 28 km from DUR
South Africa · Africa/Johannesburg · +0h · population 3,338,026 · city coordinates -29.8579, 31.0292
6. Pinetown
pinetown · 32 km from DUR
South Africa · Africa/Johannesburg · +0h · population 144,026 · city coordinates -29.8207, 30.8867
Airport alternatives in the retained graph
1. MPM FQMA
Maputo Airport · Maputo
435 km from DUR · Africa/Maputo · +0h · elevation 145 ft (44 m) · airport coordinates -25.9208, 32.5726
2. BFN FABL
Bram Fischer International Airport · Bloemfontein
470 km from DUR · Africa/Johannesburg · +0h · elevation 4,457 ft (1,358 m) · airport coordinates -29.0927, 26.3024
3. JNB FAOR
O.R. Tambo International Airport · Johannesburg
478 km from DUR · Africa/Johannesburg · +0h · elevation 5,558 ft (1,694 m) · airport coordinates -26.1401, 28.2468
Route-time reference set
1. DUR-MPM
Maputo · 435 km · 1h 23m
Africa/Maputo · +0h from DUR; reference route only, not a live schedule.
2. DUR-BFN
Bloemfontein · 470 km · 1h 26m
Africa/Johannesburg · +0h from DUR; reference route only, not a live schedule.
3. DUR-JNB
Johannesburg · 478 km · 1h 26m
Africa/Johannesburg · +0h from DUR; reference route only, not a live schedule.
Runway source evidence
Published runway count
1 runway
Longest runway 12,139 ft / 3,700 m. 0 lighted runways in the runway snapshot.
Runway surface mix
asphalt
Surface labels are normalized from the OurAirports runway rows for DUR.
Runway identifiers
06/24
Identifier pairs are retained as airport-specific runway cues, not live operational availability claims.
Same-country airport context
1. BFN FABL
Bram Fischer International Airport · Bloemfontein · 470 km from DUR
large airport · Africa/Johannesburg · south-africa · 4,457 ft (1,358 m) · -29.0927, 26.3024
2. JNB FAOR
O.R. Tambo International Airport · Johannesburg · 478 km from DUR
large airport · Africa/Johannesburg · south-africa · 5,558 ft (1,694 m) · -26.1401, 28.2468
3. ELS FAEL
King Phalo Airport · East London · 492 km from DUR
large airport · Africa/Johannesburg · south-africa · 435 ft (133 m) · -33.0356, 27.8259
4. HLA FALA
Lanseria International Airport · Johannesburg · 515 km from DUR
large airport · Africa/Johannesburg · south-africa · 4,517 ft (1,377 m) · -25.9390, 27.9266
5. PTG FAPP
Polokwane International Airport · Polokwane · 662 km from DUR
large airport · Africa/Johannesburg · south-africa · 4,076 ft (1,242 m) · -23.8453, 29.4586
6. PLZ FAPE
Chief Dawid Stuurman International Airport · Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) · 712 km from DUR
large airport · Africa/Johannesburg · south-africa · 226 ft (69 m) · -33.9897, 25.6174
Accepted operational notes
Source note 1
The airport opened its doors to passengers on May 1, 2010, 41 days before the start of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Retained as a source-backed local role note for DUR.
Country and authority
DUR sits in South Africa (Republic of South Africa), whose capital is Pretoria. South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) is the national civil-aviation authority we name for regulator context. Country context: Africa, Southern Africa.
Traveler context
Common country-language signals: Afrikaans, English, Southern Ndebele, Northern Sotho. Currency context: ZAR (R). DUR is listed with scheduled service in the airport source snapshot.
Names and local labels
DUR is also associated in the airport facts snapshot with La Mercy Airport. These labels help catch alternate airport names without creating separate duplicate airport pages.
Reference description
Airport serving Durban, South Africa. This description is used only as identity context; live flight status, terminal assignment, and airport alerts still belong to the official airport or airline source.
Source-specific cues
Regional role cue: King Shaka International Airport, abbreviated KSIA, is the primary international airport serving Durban, South Africa. Location cue: It is located in La Mercy, KwaZulu-Natal, approximately 35 km (22 mi) north of the city centre of Durban. Name or history cue: The airport opened its doors to passengers on May 1, 2010, 41 days before the start of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Entity fingerprint
Wikidata airport entity: Q392728 · King Shaka International Airport. Administrative area: La Mercy · KwaZulu-Natal. Named after: Shaka Zulu · Durban
Field and clock profile
King Shaka International Airport is a low-elevation field at 295 ft (90 m), positioned at 29.6144° S, 31.1197° E in the Southern subtropics. The runway snapshot lists 1 runway and a longest runway of 12,139 ft / 3,700 m. The airport clock uses Africa/Johannesburg (SAST, UTC+02:00), so cross-date arrivals should be checked against this zone rather than the airline origin city.
City and airport alternatives
Tongaat is the closest retained city-time anchor at 4.6 km. MPM Maputo is the closest retained airport alternative at 435 km.
Country airport peers
DUR is compared with BFN Bloemfontein at 470 km, JNB Johannesburg at 478 km, ELS East London at 492 km, HLA Johannesburg at 515 km, PTG Polokwane at 662 km inside the retained South Africa airport set, which is useful when backup airports share the same country context but differ by city, route network, and clock behavior.
Route geometry
DUR-MPM Maputo: 435 km, about 1h 23m, +0h. DUR-BFN Bloemfontein: 470 km, about 1h 26m, +0h. DUR-JNB Johannesburg: 478 km, about 1h 26m, +0h. These are distance and timezone references, not live flight availability claims.
Source trail
OurAirports ident FALE backs the stable code, coordinate, elevation, and timezone record. kingshakainternationalairport.co.za is attached as the official airport website. en.wikipedia.org is used only as supporting reference context. Snapshot date: 2026-05-21.
Operational Profile
Traffic profile
Reference airport
Airline role
Mixed commercial service
Terminal footprint
See operational notes
Runway footprint
1 runway · longest 12,139 ft / 3,700 m
Runway identifiers
06/24
OurAirports classifies DUR as a large airport with scheduled service; the airport name and codes identify it as an international gateway for Durban.
DUR (FALE) is a low-elevation field at 295 ft (90 m) in the subtropics, kept in the curated set for its route, timezone, and market-planning value.
DUR sits in a broader regional network with 3 nearby curated alternatives, so airline choice and connection strategy are part of the planning story here.
DUR's runway record lists 1 runway, with the longest runway at 12,139 ft / 3,700 m and source surfaces recorded as asphalt.
Airports Company South Africa is the clearest operator or management signal we currently have on file for DUR.
- The airport opened its doors to passengers on May 1, 2010, 41 days before the start of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
These operational notes prefer the structured airport facts snapshot, then fall back to the accepted airport reference at kingshakainternationalairport.co.za, then blend that with local timezone, route, and city-access data already on this page.
Decision matrix for DUR
These are the specific situations where this airport page earns its keep: time-zone conversion, city transfer planning, nearby airport backup logic, and source-confidence checks before acting.
When the clock matters
DUR uses Africa/Johannesburg (SAST, UTC+02:00). Use this before overnight arrivals, cross-date departures, and same-day connections.
When surface access matters
King Shaka International Airport is about 28 km from central Durban; build that transfer into arrival and check-in planning.
When alternates matter
MPM Maputo is the closest retained alternate at 435 km, time difference +0h.
When source checks matter
kingshakainternationalairport.co.za is listed as the official airport website in the airport facts snapshot; live schedules, gates, routes, terminals, and NOTAM-sensitive operations still need official airport or airline verification.
How this airport compares nearby
These comparisons place DUR inside the retained airport graph by country, timezone, elevation, and coordinate neighbors. They are deterministic dataset facts, not generated flight claims.
Country-rank position
DUR ranks #3 in the curated South Africa airport set when large airports are listed before medium airports, then sorted by IATA code. The retained country set has 8 airports.
Same-zone airport cohort
DUR shares Africa/Johannesburg with BFN Bloemfontein ZA · CPT Cape Town ZA · ELS East London ZA · HLA Johannesburg ZA · JNB Johannesburg ZA · PLZ Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) ZA. This helps separate same-clock airports by city, country, code, and geography.
Elevation-neighbor cohort
DUR is 295 ft (90 m). Closest elevation peers in the retained airport set include NAP 294 ft (90 m) (1 ft delta) · BBU 297 ft (91 m) (2 ft delta) · GUM 298 ft (91 m) (3 ft delta) · ORY 291 ft (89 m) (4 ft delta) · DSS 290 ft (88 m) (5 ft delta).
Coordinate-neighbor check
DUR's nearest retained coordinate neighbors are MPM 435 km +0h · BFN 470 km +0h · JNB 478 km +0h.
Flight Path Arc
Great-circle route between airports with animated plane. Pick a route.
Arriving From / Departing To
| Destination | Route code | Distance | Estimated window | Time difference | Destination clock |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maputo | MPM | 435 km | 1h 23m | +0h | --:--:-- |
| Bloemfontein | BFN | 470 km | 1h 26m | +0h | --:--:-- |
| Johannesburg | JNB | 478 km | 1h 26m | +0h | --:--:-- |
DUR to MPM
Maputo
Distance 435 km; estimated travel window 1h 23m; destination zone Africa/Maputo is +0h from DUR. Use the live destination clock on this page as a cross-timezone planning cue, not as a live flight schedule.
DUR to BFN
Bloemfontein
Distance 470 km; estimated travel window 1h 26m; destination zone Africa/Johannesburg is +0h from DUR. Use the live destination clock on this page as a cross-timezone planning cue, not as a live flight schedule.
DUR to JNB
Johannesburg
Distance 478 km; estimated travel window 1h 26m; destination zone Africa/Johannesburg is +0h from DUR. Use the live destination clock on this page as a cross-timezone planning cue, not as a live flight schedule.
Airport Details
Timezone
Ground Transport and Nearby Context
The airport sits in the normal outer-ring range for a major metro gateway, so rail, shuttle coach, and ride-hail all matter when you judge the fastest arrival.
Durban is the nearest mapped city anchor in the current dataset, which makes it the cleanest companion page when travelers want to switch from airport timing into local city timing.
King Shaka International Airport has 3 nearby indexed airport alternatives, which makes backup departures and diversion logic part of real planning instead of a theoretical edge case.
Nearby city time anchors
Airport pages are most useful when they bridge into real city clocks. These city anchors are ranked by distance from DUR, then shown with their own timezone, local time, and time difference from the airport clock.
Tongaat
tongaat · 4.6 km · Africa/Johannesburg
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Diff
- +0h
Ballitoville
ballitoville · 12 km · Africa/Johannesburg
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Diff
- +0h
Shakaskraal
shakaskraal · 21 km · Africa/Johannesburg
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Diff
- +0h
Ntuzuma
ntuzuma · 22 km · Africa/Johannesburg
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Diff
- +0h
Durban
durban · 28 km · Africa/Johannesburg
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Diff
- +0h
Pinetown
pinetown · 32 km · Africa/Johannesburg
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Diff
- +0h
KwaDukuza
kwadukuza · 36 km · Africa/Johannesburg
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Diff
- +0h
Mpumalanga
mpumalanga · 52 km · Africa/Johannesburg
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Diff
- +0h
Folweni
folweni · 52 km · Africa/Johannesburg
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Diff
- +0h
Mandeni
mandeni · 59 km · Africa/Johannesburg
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Diff
- +0h
Pietermaritzburg
pietermaritzburg · 70 km · Africa/Johannesburg
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Diff
- +0h
eMkhomazi
emkhomazi · 73 km · Africa/Johannesburg
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Diff
- +0h
Airlines and Network Role
King Shaka International Airport does not have a long carrier list in the current source trail, so this page emphasizes the durable pieces travelers can safely use here: local time, field identifiers, nearby airports, and timezone differences.
The route timing references show the first cross-timezone planning burden after this airport: Maputo (MPM), Bloemfontein (BFN), Johannesburg (JNB). Treat them as distance and clock cues, then verify flight availability with the carrier.
Planning checkpoints
- Traffic signal: not clearly stated in the source trail.
- Terminal footprint: not clearly stated in the source trail.
- Runway footprint: 1 runway; longest runway 12,139 ft / 3,700 m; identifiers 06/24.
- Runway surfaces: asphalt; 0 lighted runways in the source snapshot.
- Operator / management: Airports Company South Africa.
- Opened / inaugurated: 2010.
- Network role: mixed or not clearly stated in the source trail.
Nearby Airports
Nearby airports are ranked by coordinate distance from DUR. The time difference column is computed from IANA zones against the page snapshot, while the local clocks update in the browser.
Maputo AirportMPM
Maputo · large airport
- Distance
- 435 km
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Time diff
- +0h
- Elevation
- 145 ft (44 m)
Compare against MPM when route choice, backup departures, or arrival-side local time matters.
Bram Fischer International AirportBFN
Bloemfontein · large airport
- Distance
- 470 km
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Time diff
- +0h
- Elevation
- 4,457 ft (1,358 m)
Compare against BFN when route choice, backup departures, or arrival-side local time matters.
O.R. Tambo International AirportJNB
Johannesburg · large airport
- Distance
- 478 km
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Time diff
- +0h
- Elevation
- 5,558 ft (1,694 m)
Compare against JNB when route choice, backup departures, or arrival-side local time matters.
Companion Planning Tools
Questions
FAQ
What timezone is King Shaka International Airport (DUR) in?▾
King Shaka International Airport is in the Africa/Johannesburg timezone (UTC+02:00, SAST).
What are the codes for King Shaka International Airport?▾
King Shaka International Airport uses IATA code DUR and ICAO code FALE.
Where is King Shaka International Airport located?▾
King Shaka International Airport is located in Durban, South Africa at coordinates 29.6144° S, 31.1197° E, with an elevation of 295 ft (90 m) (low-elevation field in the subtropics).
How far is King Shaka International Airport from central Durban?▾
King Shaka International Airport sits roughly 28 km from the nearest mapped city center for Durban.
Which route reference is most useful from DUR?▾
Maputo (MPM) is one of the closest route references on this page, with an estimated travel window of 1h 23m, destination timezone Africa/Maputo, and a +0h difference from DUR.
Which authority regulates DUR?▾
King Shaka International Airport sits inside South Africa, where civil aviation oversight is led by the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA).
What other airports in South Africa are close peers to DUR?▾
DUR's curated peers in South Africa on this site include BFN Bloemfontein, JNB Johannesburg, ELS East London, plus 3 more.
How many runways does King Shaka International Airport have?▾
King Shaka International Airport's source-backed operational summary lists 1 runway, with the longest runway recorded at 12,139 ft / 3,700 m; identifiers include 06/24.