Hoedspruit AFB Airport (HDS) Information

Where is Hoedspruit AFB Airport?
HDS Hoedspruit AFB Airport (ICAO: FAHS) is an airbase of the South African Air Force. It is located adjacent to the Kruger National Park. In the late 1990s an unused portion of the base was converted into a civilian airport known as Eastgate Airport. It is also an emergency landing site for the Space Shuttle.

The base was officially opened on 1 July 1978. It was designed from the start to be a highly-protected wartime base. As such, it has armoured and underground hangars, with revetments placed close to the runways for aircraft on immediate take-off standby duty. The base is teeming with wildlife, being surrounded by the 25 km² AFB Hoedspruit Game Reserve. Keeping the runway clear of animals was a large problem. This led the base to introduce three cheetahs on the flight line, with the end result that animal incursions onto the runway have decreased by 90%. Another SAAF base, AFB Makhado, has since also adopted this concept.

Other than car hire, all ground transportation from HDS Hoedspruit AFB Airport needs to be booked prior to arrival to ensure you are not left hanging around for too long. This is usually done through your travel agent or accommodation.

Additional Hoedspruit AFB Airport information may be found by visiting their official website below.

• Official HDS Hoedspruit AFB Airport Website