East London to Cape Town flights
Cape Town lies 886 km (550 mi) west of East London, in the same time zone. What the numbers say about getting there, and where to book.
A nonstop flight would take about 1 h 53 min gate to gate, based on the distance and typical cruise speed with taxi and climb allowed for; connecting itineraries add the layover on top.
| East London | Cape Town | |
|---|---|---|
| Country | South Africa | South Africa |
| Population | 478,676 | 4.8 million |
| Elevation | 48 m (157 ft) | 25 m (82 ft) |
| Time now | UTC+2 (Africa/Johannesburg) | UTC+2 (Africa/Johannesburg) |
| Nearest large airport | ELS, 8 km out | CPT, 18 km out |
| Postal codes | 5201–5688 | 7100–8160 |
Airports at each end
Leaving East London
East London is served by one airport with scheduled flights. The closest large one is King Phalo Airport (ELS), 8 km (5 mi) from the centre, with a longest runway of 6,362 ft, which limits it to short and medium-haul aircraft.
Arriving in Cape Town
Cape Town is served by one airport with scheduled flights. The closest large one is Cape Town International Airport (CPT), 18 km (11 mi) from the centre, whose 10,502-ft runway is long enough for long-haul wide-body aircraft.
| Airport | Code | From centre | Longest runway | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Town International Airport | CPT | 18 km (11 mi) | 10,502 ft | 151 ft |
Book a flight to Cape Town
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Flights are sold here by AirOrSeaTravel through our booking partner, Nuitée, which takes the payment; the ticket is issued by the airline. How this works.
Staying in Cape Town
Our booking partner lists 6,750+ places to stay in Cape Town (statistics below are from the first 1,000). Of the 810 with a star rating, the largest group is 4-star (570), and 70 are five-star. Across 640 properties with at least 50 reviews, the average guest score is 9 out of 10. Guests have left 386,360 reviews in total.
Book a hotel in Cape Town
Live rooms and prices from our booking partner, booked and paid for here. Free cancellation is marked where it applies.
Common questions
How far is Cape Town from East London?
886 km (550 mi) in a straight line, west of East London.
How long does it take to get from East London to Cape Town by air?
About 1 h 53 min, estimated from distance and typical speeds for a nonstop flight. Timetables and traffic decide the real figure.
Is there a time difference between East London and Cape Town?
No, both are on Africa/Johannesburg at the moment.
Which airports are used for East London to Cape Town flights?
Typically King Phalo Airport (ELS) to Cape Town International Airport (CPT).
Where can I stay in Cape Town?
Our booking partner lists 6,750+ places to stay in Cape Town, bookable on this site.
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.