Popular Airport | Abeid Amani Karume Intl. Airport |
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Popular Airlines | |
Approximate Flight Duration | 5 hour |
Approximate Travel Distance | 4099 Km |
Taking a taxi in the morning or evening outside of rush hours is probably the most reliable method of transport to the airport in densely populated Durban. It’s also possible to reach the airport with rented cars or shuttle company buses.
You can reach the airport by taxi from the city centre in around 30 to 50 minutes depending on traffic conditions. It might be a good idea to speak with the taxi driver beforehand and let them know your time of departure to not have any bad surprises for your journey.
The shuttle buses that leave for the airport depart from Durban Station in the city centre, depart once every day at 8:00, 11:00, and 16:00 and reach the airport in around half an hour.
The traffic flows on the left side in Durban, so if you come from a country where you drive on the right it might be a better idea to hire a car with a driver rather than getting behind the steering wheel yourself. If you come from country where cars drive on the left side, you might be more at home with this option.
There is only one terminal in King Shaka Airport where there is an ABSA bank, which opens half an hour before the first flight and closes half an hour after the last flight. In addition, you can find financial services from the ATMs of First National Bank, Nedbank, and Standard Bank. There is a prayer room for Muslims, and a post office that offers services depending on the first and last flights of the day. There are baby and childcare rooms that mothers can use.
In addition to these services, the airport has many lounges. The most exclusive ones are the South African Airways Business Class Lounge, found near the entrance of the terminal, and BIDVest Premier Lounge. In these lounges you can order some food and rest on comfortable seating areas to read books or newspapers.
Airport restaurants include; Cape Town Fish Market, Cosmic Candy, Big Five Duty Free, Fego Coffee Shop, Kauai, KFC, Milky Lane, Mugg&Bean, Panarottis, Rhapsody’s, Spur, Steers, Sweet Treat, The Airport Cellar, and Wimpy. There is also a Yemaya Nail Express, Woolworts, Vodashop, Tie Stop, The Urban Retreat, The Scoin Shop, NWJ Fine Jewellery, Sneakers, Sunglass Hunt, Nike, MTN, Moda Luggage&Leather, Khasav, Jeep, EM Native, and Electro Electronics for your shopping needs.
Abeid Amani Karume International Airport, also known as Kisauni Airport, is an important transportation center of the region with its distance of about 5 kilometers from the capital Zanzibar. Regular flights to European cities, to East Africa and the Middle East take place from the airport. The airport which was known as Kisauni before, is carrying the name of the first president of the country since 2010.
It is possible to travel to Israel's Tel Aviv city, Germany's Munich and Frankfurt cities, Dubai, Doha, Amsterdam, Brussels, Nairobi, Milan, Bologna and Istanbul with seasonal flights from the airport.
When you arrive at the Abeid Amani Karume International Airport, you can get to the center which is 5 kilometers away by taking a taxi, renting a car from one of the local Zanzibar rental companies, or with airport shuttle if you have booked in advance
At Abeid Amani Karume International Airport you can find taxis without difficulty, especially during flight times. The taxis in Zanzibar determine their fares based on the taximeter device turned on in front of the airport terminal; you can reach your destination with a not-so-high fare thanks to the factors such as the close proximity of the airport. However, if you still have some question marks about the taxi fare that you would pay, you can go to the information desks at the airport without having to leave the terminal after your plane has landed, and you can ask the average taxi fare by showing the address you will be going to. Another way to know about the taxi fare in advance and have a more comfortable journey on this route is to discuss with the taxi drivers waiting in front of the Abeid Amani Karume International Airport.
At Abeid Amani Karume International Airport or Kisauni Airport, as it was known before, generally the local car rental companies serve to those passengers willing to rent a car. After renting your car from the companies located at the airport terminal, you can deal with a local guide or drive with a navigation device if you would like to find your way easily to the center. Car rental fares are not usually high at the airport and you will not have much difficulty driving and finding parking slot in the city. This way, if you are planning to travel between different regions of Zanzibar, you can consider renting a car and driving to the center.
The airport shuttle service is among one of the top preferences of passengers who will stay in a large hotel, especially in the center of Zanzibar. If you are not planning to stay in a hotel in the center or the hotel you are staying at does not offer this service, it is possible for you to look online and find a private shuttle company. If you are going to get support from a local guide while you are in the city, you can also ask your guide for help finding and booking an airport shuttle. The fare you would pay in Zanzibar, where the airport is only about 5 kilometers outside the center, for a shuttle to get to the city center will usually be low. On the other hand, keep in mind that based on the distance the fare you would pay increase if you will be travelling further away from the center.