On 16 May 2012, the Cabinet of South Africa approved a decision to hand over the airport for use by the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). On 21 May 2012, the airport was formally handed over to Lindiwe Sisulu, then Minister of Defence, by Noxolo Kiviet, then Premier of the Eastern Cape. Sisulu said that the airport would be used for border security operations, and the SANDF would contribute towards the development of the airport thus building regional transport infrastructure.