- Cape Town international airport started life as D.F. Malan airport, named after Prime Minister Daniel François Malan, in 1954. It dethroned the previous airport at Wingfield.
- The airport belongs to the commercial Airports Company South Africa (Acsa); all South African airports were privatised in 1993.
- ACSA has spent R1.6 billion on the new airport terminal and it opened in November 2009. More than 6 million passengers arrive at Cape Town international each year. ACSA estimates this figure will shoot up to 12 million in 2015, partly because of the influx of passengers in 2010.
- This is one of the 3 busiest African airports and is the 2nd largest airport in South Africa. Cape Town international is one of 3 international airports in South Africa.
- Cape Town international has won many awards, some of which include second place in the Middle East/Africa regional ratings and the airport with the best level of overall customer satisfaction. It received the Skytrax award: best airport in Africa in 2009.
- Cape Town international has always been an international airport; however, this designation only came in 1994 when the airport changed its name from D.F. Malan to Cape Town international.
- The airport played an important part in the build-up to democracy: MK and the then South African government signed the DF Malan Accord at the airport in 1991.
- The International Air Transport Association rates Cape Town international as the best airport in its size category.
- The area around the airport is being transformed into Airport City, a 2-hectare industrial site that caters to warehousing, distribution and high-tech industries.
- The majority of the flights that leave Cape Town international are domestic flights.
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