O.R. Tambo International Airport
About JNB
Overview
O.R. Tambo International Airport is located approximately 25 kilometres east of central Johannesburg, in Gauteng province, South Africa. It serves as the country's primary international gateway and the busiest airport on the African continent. Opened in 1952 as Jan Smuts Airport, it was renamed in 2006 to honour Oliver Reginald Tambo, the anti-apartheid leader.
Terminals & Runways
The airport operates two main terminals: an international terminal handling intercontinental traffic and a domestic terminal serving South African routes, connected by an internal transit system. Two parallel runways oriented roughly east–west allow simultaneous operations. The airport functions on a 24-hour basis, supporting its role as a major transit hub for connecting flights across Africa and beyond.
Airlines
South African Airways and its low-cost affiliate Mango have historically been based here, alongside Kulula and FlySafair serving domestic routes. As Africa's foremost hub, O.R. Tambo attracts a broad range of major international carriers from Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the Americas, making it a critical intercontinental connecting point.