--- iata: DUR name: King Shaka International Airport city: Durban country: South Africa lastUpdated: '2026-09-21' officialWebsite: 'https://www.airports.co.za/airports/king-shaka-international-airport' sources: - 'https://www.airports.co.za/airports/king-shaka-international-airport' - >- https://www.airports.co.za/airports/king-shaka-international-airport/the-airport/shops-facilities - 'https://www.airports.co.za/Documents/ParkingTariffs.pdf' - 'https://www.airports.co.za/utilities/wifi' - 'https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Shaka_International_Airport' - >- https://www.prioritypass.com/en-GB/lounges/south-africa/king-shaka-international/dur-bidvest-premier-lounge - >- https://www.prioritypass.com/en-GB/lounges/south-africa/king-shaka-international/dur1-umphafa-lounge - 'https://www.bidvestlounge.co.za/' - 'https://www.slow.co.za/slow/access' - 'https://www.dragonpass.com/explore/lounge/A10179/N00197' - >- https://flysafair.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/206634089-What-to-Expect-at-the-Airport - 'https://flysafair.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/203205551-Online-check-in' - >- https://www.sars.gov.za/travellerdeclaration/faqs-for-the-required-online-traveller-declarations-from-1-july-2026/ - 'https://www.aeroroutes.com/eng/260917-etdec26dur' - 'https://africabeat.com.au/emirates-restores-daily-durban-flights/' quickFacts: - >- La Mercy, about 35 km north of Durban CBD (IATA DUR / ICAO FALE); ACSA passenger terminal; opened 1 May 2010, replacing Durban International. Elevation ~93 m / 305 ft. - >- FY2025/26 (Apr 2025–Mar 2026): 5,616,199 passengers and 45,144 aircraft movements (ACSA). Domestic 5,305,971; international 296,387; regional 6,217. The often-quoted 7.5 million figure is the 2010 hall’s design capacity, not traffic. Pre-Covid peak was 6,099,628 in FY2019/20. - >- One 2010 passenger hall: departures upstairs, arrivals downstairs; domestic and international split after security. No T2, no metro, no airport rail. One runway 06/24, 3,700 m. 72 check-in desks, 16 jet bridges, 34 aircraft stands. - >- Hub for Airlink; FlySafair focus city. Live long-haul: Emirates daily DXB (EK775/EK776 from 10 Jun 2026). Qatar Airways DOH via Maputo (no DUR–MPM local rights). Turkish Airlines IST via Johannesburg (no DUR–JNB local rights). Ethiopian ADD resumes 11 Dec 2026 — not live yet. British Airways LHR remains suspended. - >- Priority Pass: Bidvest Premier is domestic only (05:15–20:15, max 2 h, showers). Umphafa is international only and PP/LoungeKey list 14:00–19:00, not the operator/DragonPass 07:00–21:00 window. SLOW is FNB/RMB domestic only — not Priority Pass. Yemaya Spa on the PP nearby list is a spa, not a lounge. - >- Uber and Bolt are live. No People Mover to the airport (that brand is a CBD/beachfront city bus). ACSA shade parking 2025–26: R18 first hour / R110 for 12–24 h. N2 south toward Durban is tolled at the La Mercy ramp. Typical leftover Uber/taxi to the CBD R350–450 / 30–40 min — confirm in the app. bentoTips: - label: Check-in title: FlySafair desks die at 40 minutes detail: >- FlySafair help desk: kiosks also close 40 minutes out. International FlySafair desk close is 60 minutes, but DUR FlySafair is domestic. Do not copy a leftover 3-hour domestic ACSA rule onto FlySafair. summary: >- FlySafair (the busy domestic bank) opens desks 2 hours before departure and closes them 40 minutes before. Online check-in is 24 hours–60 minutes. Arrive 90 minutes for a domestic bag drop; plan 3 hours for Emirates / Qatar / Turkish. category: timing - label: Layout title: 'One hall, split after security' detail: >- A domestic-to-international connection means leaving airside and reclearing. Do not treat leftover T2 / metro / People Mover copy as live. The ACSA about page still talks like 2011 — sit the shops, parking PDF, and FY stats instead. summary: >- Departures are upstairs, arrivals downstairs. After security you are in either the domestic or the international hold — there is no airside walk between them and no second terminal. category: terminal - label: Lounges title: Midday Qatar misses Priority Pass Umphafa detail: >- DragonPass still lists Umphafa 07:00–21:00. Operator hours and PP hours are not the same product. SLOW is FNB/RMB only. Yemaya Spa 05:00–20:00 on the PP nearby list is not a lounge. summary: >- PP Umphafa is international and listed 14:00–19:00. QR1376’s usual DUR departure is around 12:05 — you will not get in on Priority Pass. Emirates’ evening EK776 (~18:40) can. Bidvest Premier is the all-day PP room, but it is domestic only. category: status - label: Water title: Buy a bottle at Woolworths or Mugg & Bean landside summary: >- Woolworths sits in domestic arrivals. Mugg & Bean and Spur are on the landside piazza. Airside Fego / Wimpy / Zululand Brewing cost more. Public refill fountains are not a published ACSA feature. category: food lounges: - name: Bidvest Premier Lounge zone: Domestic hours: 'Priority Pass 05:15–20:15 daily; Bidvest operator listing 04:45–21:15' access: - 'Priority Pass (05:15–20:15, max 2 hours)' - DragonPass / LoungeKey - 'Bidvest walk-in or online booking (operator hours 04:45–21:15)' bestFor: - Domestic Priority Pass holders - Morning FlySafair / Airlink / SAA banks - A shower before a Cape Town or Johannesburg hop summary: >- The only all-day Priority Pass room at DUR — domestic airside, 3rd floor after security (right, then lift/stairs). Max stay 2 hours; early-check-in fees if you arrive sooner. 4.1/281 on Priority Pass. Not usable on an international boarding pass. verdict: worth-it terminal: Passenger terminal (domestic airside) amenities: - 'Showers (towels, shampoo, body soap)' - Smoking room - Complimentary light meals and snacks - 'Alcohol from 10:00' - Wi-Fi / PressReader / TV - Baby changing; 110 seats - name: Umphafa Lounge zone: International hours: >- Priority Pass 14:00–19:00 daily; DragonPass / operator window leftover 07:00–21:00 access: - 'Priority Pass / LoungeKey 14:00–19:00 only' - 'DragonPass listed 07:00–21:00' - Paid day pass (operator-dependent) bestFor: - Evening Emirates EK776 - DragonPass holders on a morning international - Not midday Qatar on Priority Pass summary: >- International airside, 3rd floor after immigration. PP max stay 4 hours; under-2 free; 4.0/81. A 12:05 QR1376 will miss the PP window. Do not merge leftover 07:00–21:00 as Priority Pass hours. verdict: depends terminal: Passenger terminal (international airside) amenities: - Hot/cold food and standard alcohol - Wi-Fi / flight screens - Disabled access - Showers subject to availability (not on the live PP facility list) - name: SLOW Lounge zone: Domestic hours: >- Mon–Thu 04:30–20:30; Fri 04:30–21:00; Sat 04:30–20:30; Sun 04:30–21:00 (SLOW / FNB) access: - Qualifying FNB / RMB cards only - 'Not Priority Pass, not walk-in' bestFor: - >- Eligible FNB Premier / Private Clients / Private Wealth / RMB cardholders summary: >- Domestic only — there is no SLOW International at King Shaka. Access is FNB/RMB qualifying cards; domestic visits are limited to 90 minutes before boarding. Peak-time rules apply. Do not walk here with Priority Pass. verdict: depends terminal: Passenger terminal (domestic airside) amenities: - Buffet / drinks - Wi-Fi - Domestic 90-minute cap before boarding waterOptions: - kind: purchase name: Woolworths / landside piazza zone: landside price: >- Landside sealed bottle, typically mid-teens rand for 500 ml (airside costs more) summary: >- Cheapest reliable sealed water. Public refill fountains are not a published ACSA amenity — do not plan on them. location: >- Woolworths in domestic arrivals; Mugg & Bean and Spur on the landside piazza terminal: Passenger terminal isBestValue: true - kind: purchase name: Airside Fego / Wimpy / Cosmic Candy zone: airside price: Higher than landside (often around the R20s for 500 ml) summary: >- Last resort if you skipped landside. International hold is thinner than domestic. location: >- Fego Coffee in domestic and international holds; Wimpy domestic airside; Cosmic Candy domestic airside terminal: Passenger terminal - kind: free name: Lounge water zone: airside price: Included with lounge access summary: 'Complimentary once you are in Bidvest, Umphafa, or SLOW.' location: >- Bidvest Premier 3rd floor domestic; Umphafa 3rd floor international; SLOW domestic terminal: Passenger terminal isBestQuality: true airportistScore: 7 slug: dur region: Africa --- > Markdown for [/airports/dur](/airports/dur). Append `.md` to any page URL (or send `Accept: text/markdown`) for an agent-readable copy. - [HTML page](/airports/dur) - [Lounge directory](/airports/dur/lounges.md) - [Sitemap](/sitemap.md) # King Shaka International Airport (DUR) Durban, South Africa · Africa A single 2010 hall 35 km north of Durban: easy when you stay domestic, awkward when midday Qatar meets a 14:00 Priority Pass lounge. Uber and Bolt beat a rail line that does not exist. ## Airportist Score **7.0 / 10** Weighted sum of the six published categories (no holistic fudge). - Ease of use (25%): 7.6 — Wayfinding, security wait, and layout. - Comfort & amenities (20%): 7.2 — Seating, Wi-Fi, cleanliness, and quiet. - Food & retail (15%): 6.6 — Food and retail quality and variety. - Ground access (15%): 6.8 — Transit, taxi, and parking to the city. - Reliability (15%): 6.4 — Delays, cancellations, and weather resilience. - Lounges (10%): 7.0 — Worth-it density and access quality. ## At a glance - Passengers: 5,616,199 (FY2025/26) - Terminals: 1 passenger hall (domestic + international after security) - Typical security: 20 min - On-time: 0% - Disruption: normal ## Best for - Domestic Golden Triangle hops on FlySafair / Airlink / SAA - Priority Pass holders on a domestic departure (Bidvest showers) - Evening Emirates via Dubai ## Watch out for - No metro or airport rail — 35 km / N2 toll to the CBD - Priority Pass Umphafa is 14:00–19:00; midday Qatar misses it - SLOW is FNB/RMB only, not Priority Pass - British Airways LHR and Ethiopian ADD are not live (ET from 11 Dec 2026) ## More intel - [Lounge directory](/airports/dur/lounges.md) (free) - [Getting there](/airports/dur/getting-there.md) (free) - [Amenities](/airports/dur/amenities.md) (free) - [Traveler tips](/airports/dur/tips.md) (free) - [Water](/airports/dur/water.md) (free) - [Full guide](/airports/dur/guide.md) (free) - [Disruptions](/airports/dur/disruptions.md) (free) - [Reviews](/airports/dur/reviews.md) (free)