Airport guide
East London AirportIATA code ELS
East London Airport (ELS/FAEL) is the primary air passenger gateway serving East London, South Africa. The airfield connects travelers with essential regional transit routes and operating carrier options.
- Serves
- East London, South Africa
- Codes
- ELS · FAEL
- IATA · ICAO
- Time zone
- Africa/Johannesburg
- Region
- Africa
East London Airport (ELS/FAEL) is the primary air passenger gateway serving East London, South Africa. Operating on Africa/Johannesburg local time at coordinates -33.040°, 27.830°, the airfield functions as an active commercial transit hub for scheduled regional and international flights. Travelers navigating East London Airport (ELS) are encouraged to confirm terminal layouts, ground transport connections into East London, and flight schedules with their operating carrier prior to travel.
East London Airport details
- IATA code
- ELS
- ICAO code
- FAEL
- City
- East London
- Country
- South Africa
- Region
- Africa
- Time zone
- Africa/Johannesburg
- Coordinates
- -33.036°, 27.826°
- From OurAirports
Codes, region and time zone come from the Originfacts airport record (last updated 12 Jun 2026). Fields marked otherwise come from the dataset named on them. None are verified by hand against East London Airport’s own pages.
ELS airport facts
- Size class
- Large airport
- From OurAirports (5 Oct 2026); OurAirports’ own classification
- Elevation
- 133 m (435 ft)
- From OurAirports (5 Oct 2026)
- Nearest airport with scheduled flights
- K. D. Matanzima Airport UTT · 184 km
- OurAirports scheduled-service flag; straight-line distance calculated
Runways at ELS
Source: OurAirports (opens in a new tab) runways data (public domain), retrieved 5 Oct 2026. Not an aeronautical source — not for navigation.
2 open runways, all lit. Longest 11/29: 1,939 m, asphalt.
| Runway | Length | Width | Surface | Lighting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11/29 | 1,939 m6,362 ft | 46 m | asphalt | Lit |
| 06/24 | 1,585 m5,200 ft | 46 m | asphalt | Lit |
Routes from ELS
Originfacts does not track any routes from ELS yet, so no route records are listed here. Check current schedules with the airlines or the airport’s own site.
Where ELS is
7.6 km west-southwest
East London Airport lies 7.6 km west-southwest of East London city centre in a straight line. Road distance is longer; transport options are not yet verified (see terminals and transport below).
Calculated from the airport coordinates (OurAirports) and the Wikidata (opens in a new tab) city-centre point.
Terminals, transport and parking at ELS
Terminal assignments, ground transport into East London, parking, lounges and accessibility services have not been verified against East London Airport’s own pages yet, so none are listed here.
Check directly:airports.co.za/airports/east-london (opens in a new tab)Map of the airport location (opens in a new tab)
Before you travel
- Confirm your terminal with the operating airline.
- Check the check-in and bag-drop cut-off times on your booking.
- Allow extra time if you need to change terminals or check bags in again.
- Check your flight status before you leave for the airport.
Airports near East London
Straight-line distances calculated from each airport’s coordinates in the Originfacts airport records. Road distances are longer.
- UmtataUmtata AirportUTT185 km
- Port ElizabethPort Elizabeth International AirportPLZ231 km
- MargateMargate AirportMGH328 km
- MaseruMoshoeshoe International AirportMSU417 km
- Plettenberg BayPlettenberg Bay AirportPBZ433 km
- PietermaritzburgPietermaritzburg AirportPZB450 km
- BloemfonteinBram Fischer International AirportBFN462 km
- DurbanKing Shaka International AirportDUR493 km
- GeorgeGeorge AirportGRJ516 km
East London Airport: common questions
Where is East London Airport?
East London Airport serves East London, South Africa. Its coordinates in OurAirports are -33.036°, 27.826°.
What are the airport codes for East London Airport?
The IATA code is ELS and the ICAO code is FAEL.
What time zone is ELS in?
East London Airport is in the Africa/Johannesburg time zone.
What is the official website of East London Airport?
The airport’s official website is airports.co.za/airports/east-london. For questions about a booking, contact the operating airline.
How many runways does East London Airport have?
OurAirports lists 2 open runways at ELS: 11/29 (1,939 m (6,362 ft), asphalt); 06/24 (1,585 m (5,200 ft), asphalt).
Who operates East London Airport?
Per Wikidata, ELS is operated by Airports Company South Africa.
How far is ELS from East London city centre?
East London Airport is about 7.6 km west-southwest of East London city centre in a straight line, calculated from coordinates. The distance by road is longer.
What is the elevation of East London Airport?
OurAirports gives ELS’s elevation as 133 m (435 ft) above sea level.
Sources
Nothing on this page is verified by hand yet. Each section comes from the dataset below, with its date where the dataset has one. Terminal, transport and parking details are left out until they can be read from East London Airport’s own pages.
- Codes, location, time zoneOriginfacts airport record12 Jun 2026
- Official websiteWikidata record (official website property) (opens in a new tab)5 Oct 2026
- Coordinates, runways, type, elevationOurAirports (opens in a new tab) — public domain5 Oct 2026
- Opening, operator, passengers, hubsWikidata item Q3496971 (opens in a new tab) — CC05 Oct 2026
- Distance to city centreCalculated from airport coordinates and the Wikidata (opens in a new tab) city-centre point—
- Nearby airportsCalculated from airport coordinates—
- Terminals and transportNot yet verified—
Background reading:Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)