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O. R. Tambo International Airport

Coordinates: 26°08′00″S 028°15′00″E / 26.13333°S 28.25000°E / -26.13333; 28.25000
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"Johannesburg Airport" redirects here. For another airport in Johannesburg, see Lanseria International Airport.

O. R. Tambo International Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerAirports Company South Africa
ServesJohannesburg
LocationKempton Park, Gauteng, South Africa
Opened1952; 72 years ago (1952)
Hub for
Time zoneSAST (UTC+02:00)
Elevation AMSL5,558 ft / 1,694 m
Coordinates26°08′00″S 028°15′00″E / 26.13333°S 28.25000°E / -26.13333; 28.25000
Websitewww.airports.co.za/airports/or-tambo-international-airport
Map
JNB is located in Greater Johannesburg
JNB
JNB
Location in the Johannesburg area
JNB is located in South Africa
JNB
JNB
JNB (South Africa)
JNB is located in Africa
JNB
JNB
JNB (Africa)
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
03L/21R 14,495 4,421 Asphalt
03R/21L 11,155 3,405 Asphalt
Statistics (Jan-Dec 2019)
Passengers21,665,403
Aircraft movements218,208
Economic impact$3.2 billion[2]
Social impact128.2 thousand[2]
Source: Passenger Statistics[1]

O. R. Tambo International Airport (IATA: JNB, ICAO: FAOR) is an international airport situated in Kempton Park, Gauteng, South Africa. It serves as the primary airport for domestic and international travel to/from South Africa and is Africa's busiest airport, with a capacity to handle up to 28 million passengers annually.[3] The airport serves as the hub for South African Airways. The airport handled over 21 million passengers in 2017.

It was originally known as Jan Smuts International Airport,[4] after the former South African Prime Minister of the same name. The airport was renamed Johannesburg International Airport in 1994 when the newly elected African National Congress (ANC) government implemented a policy of not naming airports after politicians. This policy was later reversed, and on 27 October 2006 the airport was renamed O. R. Tambo International Airport after Oliver Reginald Tambo, a former ANC President.[5]

History

The airport was founded in 1952 as Jan Smuts International Airport, two years after Smuts's death, near the town of Kempton Park on the East Rand. It replaced Palmietfontein International Airport, which had handled European flights since 1945.

In 1943, a decision was made by the Cabinet of the Union of South Africa to construct three international airports with a Civil Airports Advisory Committee formed to investigate and report on the viability.[6]: 224  That report was submitted to the Cabinet in March 1944 with one main international airport on the Witwatersrand and two smaller international airports at Cape Town and Durban.[6]: 224  The South African Railways and Harbours Administration was given the role of managing the project and later in 1944, a member went to the United States to study standards and methods of construction.[6]: 224–5  Four possible sites around Johannesburg were identified, with one south of Johannesburg chosen but soon discarded due to being situated on land with gold bearing reefs below.[6]: 225  Sites were then narrowed down to Kempton Park and the existing airport at Palmietfontein.[6]: 225 

Layouts and rough costing for the two sites were established and submitted for a ministerial decision.[6]: 226  The site would be at Kempton Park and be named Jan Smuts Airport.[6]: 226  The area outside Kempton Park was an expropriated undulating dairy farm of 3,706 acres with a 598 acre eucalyptus plantation.[6]: 227  Sitting on a plateau, the area sloped away towards the east.[6]: 227  The area was drained by the Blesbok River.[6]: 227 

In the late 1950s, jet passenger aircraft became the norm and there was a need to expand the existing ground facilities at the airport, which began in the 1960s and early-1970s. In addition to the new airside facilities, ground developments included: improved road access, parking areas, hotel, retail areas and car hire.[7]: 50 

The late-1960s saw a new choice of aircraft for South African Airways, the Boeing 747.[8]: 339  A decision was made by the Minister of Transport to obtain three, later five 747s for the airline.[8]: 339  Delivery would begin in October 1971 with the first flight to London on 10 December 1971 with daily services from February 1972.[8]: 339  These purchases however required new hangar facilities with the contract awarded in September 1969 initially worth R2,983,408.[8]: 339  Construction started in December 1968 and was completed in October 1971 for R8,000,000 while other work at the airport associated with the arrival of these new aircraft brought the costs to R40,000,000.[8]: 341  Other new buildings such as workshops, testing facilities, stores, staff accommodation and air cargo handling building were built. The new hangar would allow for two 747s in each bay with dimensions of 73.2 m wide, 24.4 m high and a depth of 91.4 m.[8]: 341 

It was used as a test airport for Concorde during the 1970s, to determine how the aircraft would perform while taking off and landing at high elevations ('hot and high' testing).[9] During the 1980s, many countries stopped trading with South Africa because of the United Nation sanctions imposed against South Africa in the struggle against apartheid, and many international airlines stopped flying to the airport. These sanctions also resulted in South African Airways being refused rights to fly over most African countries, and in addition, the risk of flying over some African countries was emphasised by the shooting down of two passenger aircraft over Rhodesia (e.g. Air Rhodesia Flight 825 and 827),[10] forcing them to fly around the "bulge" of Africa. This required specially-modified aircraft like the long-range Boeing 747SP. A second runway was built at the airport in the late-1980s.[7]: 50 

In December 1993, a R120,000,000 upgrade at the airport was completed.[11]: 14  The main part of the projects was an 880 m, 3000 t steel airside corridor consisting of two levels high of 6 m wide with thirteen passenger bridges.[11]: 14  The upper levels are connected the departure lounges through security screening points. Lower levels are for arrivals for entry into the immigration and custom areas.[11]: 14  A future provision for extensions to this airside corridor was included in the design.[11]: 14  A new airside bus terminal was also added for bussing in passengers to aircraft not able dock next to the terminal. Other parts of the project included upgrading the terminal facilities for the passengers.[11]: 14 

Following the ending of apartheid, the airport's name, and that of other international airports in South Africa, were changed and these restrictions were lifted. With the creation of the Airports Company of South Africa (ACSA) in the mid-nineties, a plan to commercialise the airport began with new passenger and retail and airside facilities to handle a larger number of aircraft completing this phase in 2004.[7]: 50 

The airport overtook Cairo International Airport in 1996 as the busiest airport in Africa[12] and is the fourth-busiest airport in the Africa–Middle East region after Dubai International Airport, Hamad International Airport, and Abu Dhabi International Airport. In fiscal year 2010, the airport handled 8.82 million departing passengers.[13]

In late 2005, a name change was proposed for the airport to "O. R. Tambo International", after former ANC President and anti-apartheid activist Oliver Reginald Tambo, an apparent change to the precedent of neutrally-named airports. The name change was formally announced in the Government Gazette of South Africa on 30 June 2006, allowing a 30-day window for the public to register objections. The name change was implemented on 27 October 2006 with the unveiling of new signs at the airport. Critics noted the considerable expense involved in renaming the airport, and the decision to use a politician as the name would be obscure, confusing and in some instances, offensive. Corne Mulder of the Freedom Front Plus has stamped the renaming "nothing less than political opportunism and attempts by the ANC government to dodge the true socio-economic issues of the country".[14] Unnecessary confusion can be caused, for O. R. Tambo is also a district municipality in the Eastern Cape, seated in Mthatha. The town of Mthatha has an international airport known as Mthatha Airport, formerly named the K. D. Matanzima Airport after former Transkei President Kaiser Matanzima.

On 26 November 2006, the airport became the first in Africa to host the Airbus A380.[15] The aircraft landed in Johannesburg on its way to Sydney via the South Pole on a test flight.

There was no provision for rapid train access until 2010, when the Gautrain project allowed train passengers to reach the airport from the Johannesburg CBD, Sandton and Pretoria.[7]: 50 

Airport information

An O.R Tambo bust at the aircraft viewing deck above the CTB.

O. R. Tambo International Airport is a hot and high airport. Situated 1,700 metres (5,500 feet) above mean sea level, the air is thin.[16] The thinner air is also the reason for the longer than usual runways.

O. R. Tambo International Airport is one of only three airports in the Africa-Middle East region—as well as the only one properly located in Africa—that has non-stop flights to all six inhabited continents, the other two being Dubai International Airport and Doha International Airport.

On 10 January 2013 the airport's ICAO code was changed from FAJS to FAOR.[17]

South African Airways Museum

The South African Airways Museum once was located at the airport. This room full of South African Airways memorabilia was started by two fans of the airline as a temporary location until they could set it up in one of Jan Smuts International's buildings in 1987. The museum has since relocated to Rand Airport (FAGM).

Aircraft viewing decks

The airport has two viewing decks. One is located above the Central Terminal Building, and the other in an administrative section of the airport above the international check-in counters. There are regular displays of Oliver Reginald Tambo, the airport's namesake in the viewing decks.

Infrastructure

Inside the O. R. Tambo International Airport.
OR Tambo terminal buildings
Check-in booths in the International Terminal.

Runways

O. R. Tambo International Airport has two runways (one pair of parallel runways) adjacent to the airport's terminal buildings. There used to be a third runway, 09/27, but was closed due to the danger it posed. It is now taxiway Juliet. Another decommissioned runway includes runway 14/32, crossing runway 03L/21R and 03R/21L, which has since converted into taxiway Echo.

Number Length Width ILS Notes
03L/21R 4421m[18] 60m[18] PALS CAT II[18] Fully laden aircraft require a far greater length of runway to achieve take-off velocity at this altitude. It is the 33rd longest runway in the world.
03R/21L 3405m[19] 60m[19] PALS CAT II[19]

The runways are equipped with Approach Lighting Systems. Sequenced flashers are not used at any South African runways and therefore not installed. Touchdown zone (TDZ) lighting is available, but never turned on. Runway Threshold, Edge and Centerline lights are the only lighting available. During busy periods, outbound flights use the western runway (03L/21R) for take-off, while inbound flights use the eastern runway (03R/21L) for landing. Wind factors may cause numerous variations, but on most days flights will take off to the north and land from the south.

Taxiways and aprons

O. R. Tambo International Airport has a network of asphalt taxiways connecting runways, aprons and maintenance facilities.[20] All of these taxiways are 30.5 metres wide, except for taxiway Echo and Juliet which is 60 metres wide, as it was formerly runway 14/32 and 09/27, respectively. The airport also has nine aprons. Cargo aircraft park at aprons Golf and Whiskey. Many airlines have their aircraft wait long hours between arriving and departing flights. Such aircraft and other cargo aircraft are parked at aprons Delta and Foxtrot to free up jetbridges. Aprons Alpha, Charlie and Echo have jetbridges that connect them to their respective gates. The Bravo apron is not connected to the terminal building, and thus aircraft that land there must use an airport bus service.

Developments

ACSA reported that major new developments took place at the airport, in preparation for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The development includes expansion of the international terminal, with the new international pier (opened in 2009), which includes gates for the Airbus A380 and increased capacity at the same time. A new Central Terminal building, designed by Osmond Lange Architects and Planners, was completed on 1 April 2009. [citation needed] An additional multi-storey parkade was built in January 2010, at a cost of R470 million opposite the Central Terminal Building, [citation needed] plus Terminal A was also upgraded and the associated roadways realigned to accommodate more International Departures space.

The Central Terminal Building (CTB) (cost: R2 billion) boosted passenger capacity at the landside of the terminal in 3 levels, and allows direct access from international and domestic terminals. Additional luggage carousels were added on 12 March 2010 to accommodate the Airbus A380. [citation needed] Arrivals are accommodated on Level 1, with departures expanded on Level 3; Level 2 accommodates further retail and commercial activities. The Gautrain Rapid Rail Link station is above the terminal.

The new International Pier (cost: R535 million) has increased international arrivals and departures capacity in a two-storey structure with nine additional airside contact stands, four of which are Airbus A380 compatible. [citation needed] Air bridges are already in place and the existing duty-free mall will be extended into this area. Additional lounges and passenger-holding areas will be constructed on the upper level.

A second terminal between the two runways has been cancelled. It would have contained its own domestic and international check-in facilities, contact stands, shops and lounges and was projected to cost R8 billion. [citation needed]

Terminals

There are six terminals at the airport, but these can be broken down into three major areas: the international terminals; the domestic terminals; and the transit terminals. The transit terminal housed disused parts of the old domestic terminals. It has been mostly demolished to build a new Central Terminal that will provide an indoor link between domestic and international terminals, as well as a central passenger check-in area and more gates. It was constructed for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Terminals A1 and A2 handle international passengers while the other two terminals handle domestic passengers. Due to the airport's design, departure and arrivals terminals are considered separate terminals. The Central Terminal that is under construction will be named Terminal A3 and it will be used for both international and domestic passengers. The airline Mango has its head office on the mezzanine level of the Domestic Departure Terminal.[21]

The two terminals, Terminal A and Terminal B have been restructured. Several airlines now use Terminal B for all check-ins (top floor, adjacent to the arrivals atrium), for both national and international flights. The airlines that moved check-in to Terminal B include South African Airways, SA Airlink, South African Express and Air Mauritius.[22]

Terminals A and B boast over 140 retail stores. The Duty-Free stores are based airside in Terminal A and many of them stock products exclusively available at the airport.

The ample parking available at O. R. Tambo International Airport was revamped as part of the upgrades made prior to the 2010 World Cup with the introduction of state-of-the-art technology that allows visitors to identify available parking spaces easily.

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

AirlinesDestinationsRefs
Air Austral Saint-Denis de la Réunion [23]
Air Botswana Francistown, Gaborone, Kasane, Maun [24]
Air China Beijing–Capital, Shenzhen [25]
Air France Paris–Charles de Gaulle [26][27]
Air Madagascar Antananarivo [28]
Air Mauritius Mauritius [29]
Air Peace Lagos [30]
Air Seychelles Mahé [31]
Air Zimbabwe Bulawayo, Harare [32]
Airlink Antananarivo, Beira, Bloemfontein, Bulawayo, Cape Town, Dar es Salaam, Durban, East London, Entebbe, Gaborone, George, Harare, Hoedspruit, Kasane, Kimberley, Livingstone,[33] Luanda, Lubumbashi, Lusaka, Manzini, Maputo, Maseru, Maun, Mthatha, Nampula, Ndola, Nelspruit, Nosy Be, Pemba, Phalaborwa, Pietermaritzburg, Polokwane, Port Elizabeth, Richards Bay, Saint HelenaA, Sishen, Skukuza, Tete, Upington, Victoria Falls, Vilanculos, Windhoek–Hosea Kutako
Charter: Ascension IslandB 		[34]
Alitalia Rome–Fiumicino [35][27]
ASKY Airlines Douala, LagosC, Libreville, LoméD [36]
British Airways Cape Town, Durban, East London,[37] Harare, Livingstone, London–Heathrow, Mauritius, Port Elizabeth, Victoria Falls, Windhoek–Hosea Kutako [38][39]
Cathay Pacific Hong Kong [40]
CemAir Bloemfontein, Durban, George, Hoedspruit, Margate, Plettenberg Bay, Sishen [41][42][43]
Congo Airways Kinshasa–N'djiliE, Lubumbashi [44][45]
Delta Air Lines Atlanta [46]
EgyptAir Cairo [47][48]
El Al Tel Aviv [49]
Emirates Dubai–International [50]
Ethiopian Airlines Addis Ababa [51]
Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi [52]
Fastjet Zimbabwe Harare, Victoria Falls[53]
FlySafair Cape Town, Durban, East London, George, Port Elizabeth [54]
FlyWestair Windhoek–Hosea Kutako
Kenya Airways Nairobi–Jomo Kenyatta [55][56]
KLM Amsterdam [57][27]
Kulula.com Cape Town, Durban, East London, George [58][59]
LAM Mozambique Airlines Beira, Maputo, NampulaF, PembaG [60][61]
LATAM Brasil São Paulo–Guarulhos [62]
LIFT Airline Cape Town, George
Lufthansa Frankfurt [63]
Malawi Airlines Blantyre, LilongweH [64]
Mango Cape Town, Durban, George, Port Elizabeth, Zanzibar [65]
Proflight Zambia Ndola [66]
Qantas Sydney [67]
Qatar Airways DohaI [68]
Royal Zambian Airlines Lusaka [69]
RwandAir KigaliJ, Lusaka [70]
Saudia Jeddah [71][56]
Singapore Airlines SingaporeK [72][73]
South African Airways Accra, Blantyre, Cape Town, Dar es Salaam, Frankfurt, Harare, Kinshasa–N'djili, Lagos, Lilongwe, London–Heathrow, Lusaka, Maputo, Mauritius, Nairobi–Jomo Kenyatta, New York–JFK, Perth, Victoria Falls, Washington–DullesL, Windhoek–Hosea Kutako (all flights except Cape Town suspended) [74][75]
Swiss International Air Lines Zürich [76]
TAAG Angola Airlines Luanda [77]
Turkish Airlines IstanbulM [78]
Uganda Airlines Entebbe [79]
United Airlines Newark [80][81]
Virgin Atlantic London–Heathrow [82]
Notes
  • ^A : This flight operates via Walvis Bay. However, this carrier does not have rights to transport passengers solely between Walvis Bay and Saint Helena.
  • ^B : This flight operates via Saint Helena.
  • ^C : This flight operates via Douala or Libreville.
  • ^D : This flight operates via Douala and Lagos.
  • ^E : This flight operates via Lubumbashi.
  • ^F : This flight operates via Beira.
  • ^G : Some flights operate via Maputo.
  • ^H : This flight operates via Blantyre.
  • ^I : Two flights originate from Durban and Gaborone respectively. However, this carrier does not have rights to transport passengers solely between Johannesburg and Durban/Gaborone.
  • ^J : This flight operates via Lusaka.
  • ^K : This flight originates Cape Town. However, this carrier does not have rights to transport passengers solely between Johannesburg and Cape Town.
  • ^L : This flight operates via Accra.
  • ^M : Two flights originate from Maputo and Durban respectively. However, this carrier does not have rights to transport passengers solely between Johannesburg and Maputo/Durban.

Cargo

AirlinesDestinations
BidAir Cargo[83] Cape Town, Dar es Salaam, Durban, East London, George, Harare, Kigali, Livingstone, Mauritius, Nairobi–Jomo Kenyatta, Port Elizabeth, Victoria Falls, Windhoek–Hosea Kutako
Cargolux[84] Luxembourg
EgyptAir Cargo[85] Cologne/Bonn
Emirates SkyCargo[86] Dubai–Al Maktoum
Ethiopian Airlines Cargo[87] Addis Ababa
FedEx Express[88] Dubai-International
Lufthansa Cargo[89] Frankfurt, Lagos, Nairobi–Jomo Kenyatta
Martinair[90] Amsterdam
Qatar Airways Cargo[91] Doha
Saudia Cargo[92] Jeddah
Turkish Cargo[93] Istanbul–Atatürk, Windhoek–Hosea Kutako
Uganda Air Cargo[94] Entebbe

Traffic and statistics

O. R. Tambo International Airport recorded 21.2 million passengers in 2017–2018, up from 20.7 million passengers the year before. Of those passengers, 9.2 million were international and 11 million domestic, with the remainder being classified as "regional" or "unscheduled". 220,644 aircraft traffic movements were recorded; the majority being domestic services. O. R. Tambo International Airport is the busiest airport in South Africa.

Passenger traffic

Annual (civil years) passenger traffic for O.R. Tambo. See Wikidata query.
Passenger traffic per fiscal year for O. R. Tambo International Airport[95]
Year International Regional Domestic Unscheduled Total
Passenger movements % Change Passenger movements % Change Passenger movements % Change Passenger movements % Change Passenger movements % Change
2006–07 6,958,277 no data 651,642 no data 10,094,758 no data 89,423 no data 17,794,100 no data
2007–08 7,645,647 Increase9.9% 714,717 Increase9.7% 11,009,841 Increase9.1% 87,293 Decrease2.4% 19,457,498 Increase9.3%
2008–09 7,480,461 Decrease2.2% 730,387 Increase2.2% 9,582,332 Decrease13.0% 91,679 Increase5.0% 17,884,859 Decrease8.1%
2009–10 7,489,211 Increase0.1% 762,033 Increase4.3% 9,270,478 Decrease3.3% 74,481 Decrease18.8% 17,596,203 Decrease1.6%
2010–11 7,965,594 Increase6.4% 794,477 Increase4.3% 9,732,250 Increase5.0% 150,824 Increase102.5% 18,643,145 Increase5.9%
2011–12 8,088,013 Increase1.5% 846,067 Increase6.5% 9,985,246 Increase2.6% 84,216 Decrease44.2% 19,003,542 Increase1.9%
2012–13 8,276,845 Increase2.3% 826,676 Decrease2.3% 9,437,069 Decrease5.5% 80,669 Decrease4.2% 18,621,259 Decrease2.0%
2013-14 8,570,384 Increase3.6% 894,670 Increase8.2% 9,257,225 Decrease1.9% 98,709 Increase22.3% 18,820,988 Increase1.0%
2014-15 8 614 192 Increase0.5% 914 644 Increase2.2% 9 510 809 Increase2.7% 95 448 Decrease3.4 19 135 093 Increase1.7%
2015-16 8 791 210 Increase2.1% 905 729 Decrease1.0% 10 586 823 Increase11.3% 91 236 Decrease4.6% 20 374 998 Increase6.5%
2016- 17 8 974 372 Increase2.0% 931 594 Increase2.8% 10 703 205 Increase1.1% 83 609 Decrease8.3% 20 692 780 Increase1.5%
2017- 18 9 237 487 Increase2.9% 897 409 Decrease3.7% 11 018 062 Increase2.9% 78 552 Decrease6.0% 21 231 510 Increase2.6%

Aircraft movements

Annual aircraft movements for O. R. Tambo International Airport[96][97]
Year International Regional Domestic Unscheduled Total
Aircraft movements % Change Aircraft movements % Change Aircraft movements % Change Aircraft movements % Change Aircraft movements % Change
2006–07 53,003 no data 17,684 no data 114,917 no data 26,037 no data 211,641 no data
2007–08 59,031 Increase11.4% 18,799 Increase6.3% 121,621 Increase5.8% 29,591 Increase13.6% 229,042 Increase8.2%
2008–09 57,559 Decrease2.5% 17,965 Decrease4.4% 109,372 Decrease10.1% 28,297 Decrease4.4% 213,193 Decrease6.9%
2009–10 59,382 Increase3.2% 19,732 Increase9.8% 103,166 Decrease5.7% 20,252 Decrease28.4% 202,532 Decrease5.0%
2010–11 63,414 Increase6.8% 19,846 Decrease0.6% 105,627 Increase2.4% 24,031 Increase18.7% 212,918 Increase5.1%
2011–12 63,233 Decrease0.3% 20,769 Increase4.6% 107,053 Increase1.3% 21,515 Decrease10.4% 212,570 Decrease0.1%
2012–13 63,610 Increase0.3% 19,021 Decrease8.4% 95,869 Decrease10.4% 21,302 Decrease0.9% 199,802 Decrease6.0%
2013–14 66,993 Increase6.0% 19,408 Increase2.0% 96,788 Increase0.9% 23,414 Increase9.9% 206,603 Increase3.4%
2014–15 65,874 Decrease1.6% 21,164 Increase9.0% 103,612 Increase6.5% 26,977 Increase13.2% 217,627 Increase5.0%
2015–16 65,910 Increase0.1% 21,382 Increase1.0% 110,741 Increase6.8% 26,158 Decrease3.0% 224,191 Increase3.0%
2016–17 65,705 Decrease0.3% 21,069 Decrease1.4% 110,173 Decrease0.5% 23,987 Decrease8.3% 220,934 Decrease1.5%
2017–18 66,214 Increase0.7% 20,314 Decrease3.6% 108,599 Decrease1.4% 25,607 Increase6.8% 220,644 Decrease0.1%

Other buildings

Airways Park, the head office of South African Airways

South African Airways is headquartered in Airways Park on the grounds of O. R. Tambo International Airport.[98][99][100] The building was developed by Stauch Vorster Architects.[101] Airways Park was completed in March 1997 for R70 Million ($17.5 Million).[102] The fourth floor of the West Wing of the Pier Development of O. R. Tambo has the head office of South African Express.[103][104][105]

Ground transport

Gautrain at O. R. Tambo Intl Airport

Rail transit

A transit terminal has been built between the domestic and international terminals. It houses the Gautrain station linking the airport to Sandton, a major business district and a primary tourist area, and, from there, the rest of the Gautrain system.

In September 2006 Gauteng Province contracted Bombardier Transportation for a rail link connecting Johannesburg, Pretoria, and the airport, with construction to begin immediately.[106] The section linking the airport to Sandton in Johannesburg was completed on 8 June 2010 in time for the World Cup. Trains run 90 trips per day and carry an estimated 60000 passengers daily.[107]

Car

The airport is easily accessible by car and it is located northeast of Johannesburg Central at the eastern end of the R24 Airport Freeway. It can be accessed by the R24 Airport Freeway (also known as the Albertina Sisulu Freeway) from Johannesburg Central and the R21 highway from Pretoria and the central part of the East Rand. The R24 intersects with the R21 near the airport and with the O. R. Tambo Airport Highway. This highway goes through the airport terminals, separating them from the parking bays, but it branches off into two directions: "departures" and "arrivals", and then it re-branches into the intersection.

Bus

Five bus city lines, operated by Metrobus and Putco, pass through the airport twice a day. The buses are accessible in the morning and the evening, when there are many passengers departing and arriving. There are also private bus lines operating express buses to the CBD of Johannesburg, as well as other locations.

Accidents and incidents

  • 20 October 1957 – A Vickers Viscount G-AOYF, operated by Vickers on a test flight, was damaged beyond economic repair when the starboard undercarriage collapsed following a heavy landing.[108]
  • 1 March 1988 – A Comair Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante ZS-LGP, exploded in mid air whilst on final approach. All seventeen occupants were killed. A passenger was suspected of detonating an explosive device but to this day it has never been proven.[109]
  • 22 April 1999 – A Boeing 727 ZS-IJE was damaged beyond repair by large hailstones while on approach for landing. The aircraft landed safely with no loss of life.[110]
  • 3 November 2001 – A Reims-Cessna F406 crashed shortly after takeoff from runway 03R, killing all 3 occupants. The aircraft did not have a valid certificate of airworthiness at the time of the incident.[111]
  • 9 April 2004 – An Emirates Airbus A340-300 A6-ERN operating flight EK764 from Johannesburg to Dubai sustained serious damage during takeoff when it failed to become airborne before the end of the runway, striking 25 approach lights, causing four tyres to burst which in turn threw debris into various parts of the aircraft, ultimately damaging the flap drive mechanism. This rendered the flaps immoveable in the takeoff position. The aircraft returned for an emergency landing during which the normal braking system failed as a result of the damage. The aircraft was brought to a stop only 250 metres from the end of the 3,400-metre runway using reverse thrust and the alternate braking system.[112][113] In their report, South African investigators found that the captain had used an erroneous take-off technique, and criticised Emirates training and rostering practices.[114]
  • 25 March 2006 – A gunman held up guards at the airport gates. Others armed with AK-47 assault rifles held up guards and police at a South African Airways aircraft and helped themselves to bags of pound sterling banknotes flown in from Britain. Several airport security staff were implicated in the heist.[115]
  • 22 December 2013 – A British Airways Boeing 747-400 G-BNLL operating flight BA33 collided with a building at the airport. Four ground-handling staff in the building sustained minor injuries. The airplane was written off and scrapped by April 2015.[116][117][118]
  • 26 October 2015 – A British Airways operated by Comair Boeing 737-400 ZS-OAA operating flight BA6234 from Port Elizabeth suffered a gear collapse while landing at the airport. There were no injuries.[119][120]
  • 7 March 2017 – A heist, remarkably similar to the heist in 2006, was carried out by a gang of up to 13 robbers who stole a huge sum of used foreign currency notes collected from South Africa's banks and foreign exchange services. The money was to be transported to London by South African Airways.[121][122]

See also

References

  1. ^ "O.R. Tambo Airport Passenger Statistics". Airports Company South Africa. Archived from the original on 28 August 2012. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
  2. ^ a b "O. R. Tambo International airport – Economic and social impacts". Ecquants. Archived from the original on 22 May 2014. Retrieved 7 September 2013.
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