Mthatha Airport was again placed under military control temporarily following the death of Nelson Mandela on 5 December 2013, as his state funeral was to be held in the nearby rural village of Qunu where he grew up. Mthatha Airport was converted into a no-fly zone reserved for heads of state attending the funeral. Other VIPs and members of the public attending the funeral were advised to fly to Port Elizabeth Airport and East London Airport instead. On 14 December 2013, Mandela's body was flown from Air Force Base Waterkloof near Pretoria to Mthatha Airport for his funeral and burial.