Durban airport overwhelmed by VIP plane rush

A moth-balled South African airport re-opened on Wednesday to serve as a parking lot for the private planes of notables attending the World Cup semi-finals between Germany and Spain while other planes were turned away.

“We have had an overflow of flights,” said Colin Naidoo, a spokesman for the new Durban King Shaka International Airport.

Private planes have landed at the new airport and flown off to park for the match at the old airport about 60 km (40 miles) away that served as the air link for the eastern coastal city until earlier this year, he said.

Among the notables expected to attend the game were Spain’s King Juan Carlos, South African President Jacob Zuma, US actor Leonardo DiCaprio and US socialite Paris Hilton, local media reported.