Johannesburg O R Tambo Airport (JNB) Information

Where is Johannesburg O R Tambo Airport?  

Johannesburg South Africa is one of the world's 50 largest metropolitan areas, and boasts the biggest economy in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Johannesburg's city centre was rejuvenated prior to the 2010 World Cup, with art as the cornerstone: new galleries and art spaces are popping up. As South Africa's largest city, Johannesburg is multicultural, with a cuisine that is a melting pot from many regions of the world.

Johannesburg OR Tambo International Airport (IATA: JNB, ICAO: FAOR), formerly Jan Smuts International Airport, also known as Jan Smuts Airport, Tambo Airport, Johannesburg International Airport, Johannesburg Airport, or simply Joburg Airport, is located 21 kilometres (13 miles) from central Johannesburg, in Kempton Park, in the adjacent municipality of Ekurhuleni, in Gauteng Province, South Africa. While sometimes shortened and referred to as ORTIA, this is not an official airport code. The airport is named to honour Oliver Tambo, a former President of the African National Congress.

The "OR Tambo Airport" name has caused confusion, as there is a similarly named location elsewhere in South Africa, far from Johannesburg (OR Tambo District Municipality is in the Eastern Cape Province and is served by Mthatha Airport (UTT)).

In 2015, Johannesburg O R Tambo Airport served 20,375,626 passengers, making it the busiest airport in South Africa. Along with Cape Town International Airport (CPT), and Durban King Shaka International Airport (DUR), the three airports form what is referred to as the "Golden Triangle". JNR is also the busiest airport in Africa.

Tambo Airport is by far the busiest of Johannesburg's airports. The city is also served by Lanseria Airport (HLA) - used for flights to Cape Town, Durban and Botswana - as well as Rand Airport (QRA) and Grand Central Airport (GCJ), both of which serve small, private aircraft, and Sandton City Heliport (HCS).

OR Tambo Johannesburg Airport is the hub of South African Airways (SAA), as well as smaller local airlines such as Airlink, Comair, Fastjet, Interair South Africa, Kulula, Mango and South African Express. Other airlines offering Johannesburg flights include Air France, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Delta Air Lines, El Al, Emirates, KLM, Lufthansa, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Saudia, Singapore Airlines, Swiss International Air Lines, Thai Airways International, Turkish Airlines and Virgin Atlantic Airways.

Among the many cities with Johannesburg flights are Abu Dhabi, Atlanta, Bangkok, Beijing, Buenos Aires, Cairo, Dakar, Doha, Dubai, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Istanbul, Jeddah, Lagos, London, Mumbai, Munich, Nairobi, New York, Paris, Perth, São Paulo, Singapore, Sydney, Tel Aviv, Washington DC and Zürich.

Your best bet for a Johannesburg Airport transfer is the train. Details on all options are included in this guide.

Or, to truly arrive stress free, treat yourself to a private Johannesburg Airport transfer from IHateTaxis.

Customs at the Johannesburg O R Tambo Airport as well as other ports / border crossings is amusing to say the least. It appears that it is more about job creation rather than proper scrutiny and screening of visitors.

Tambo Airport services include:

• Duty free
• Pharmacy
• Postal services
• Flower shop
• Massage services
• Luggage storage

Note: In January 2013 the airport's ICAO code was changed from FAJS to FAOR.

Trivia: Johannesburg O R Tambo Airport's runway, at 4,418 metres (14,495 ft), is one of the longest in Africa. It compares with Harare International Airport (HRE) in Zimbabwe, whose longest runway measures 4,725 metres (15,502 ft). The reason for this is that both are "hot and high" airports requiring long take-off runs.

• Official JNB Johannesburg O R Tambo International Airport Website    

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