List of International Airports in South Africa

Nov 11, 2025 0

South Africa has an advanced air traffic infrastructure that has grown steadily in recent decades. The main reasons for this are increasing economic relations and flourishing tourism. The airports in South Africa support managing the high footfalls of tourists from different parts of the globe who are visiting to explore the beauty of this destination. For foreign travelers to South Africa, it is essential to know the list of international airports in South Africa so they can book easy flights on the desired date.

There are over 90 airports in South Africa. This list includes both international and domestic airports. Most of the biggest airports in SA are owned by the Airports Company of South Africa. Here are some of the most notable international airports:

Oliver Tambo International Airport (JNB)
Cape Town International Airport (CPT)
King Shaka International Airport (DUR)
Port Elizabeth Airport (PLZ)
Lanseria International Airport (HLA)
Kimberley Airport (KIM)
Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (MQP)

Key International Airports in Detail

1. O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB)

🇿🇦1st World Airport - OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg Walkthrough✔️

Oliver Reginald Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg is the largest and busiest airport in South Africa. It is located about 20 kilometers east of Johannesburg's city center and serves as the main hub for international and domestic flights. Formerly called "Jan Smuts Airport", it was renamed "Johannesburg Airport" in 1994 and received its current name in 2006.

Today, Tambo International has two terminals that handle international and domestic flights. The international terminal was completed in the late 1990s, while the older terminal was built in the 1970s. In total, the airport can handle over 21 million passengers a year. O.R. Tambo International Airport is considered as the main, biggest, and the busiest airport in South Africa. Being one of the biggest cities in South Africa, Johannesburg has the maximum number of airports. Johannesburg has 3 important airports in the country. These are Grand Central Airport, Lanseria International Airport, and O.R. Tambo International Airport.

A special feature of the airport is its high altitude. At 1694 meters above sea level, the air is considerably thinner than usual elsewhere. This means that the air carries less, which is even more pronounced at high temperatures. Due to the lack of air density, aircraft require a higher take-off speed and therefore longer runways. At 3405 and 4421 meters, the two existing runways are only slightly longer than usual. As a result, wide-bodied aircraft cannot take off with full tanks and have to make additional refueling stops on long-haul flights.

2. Cape Town International Airport (CPT)

Another famous airport in Africa is Cape Town International Airport, and it takes just 20 minutes to reach this airport from the Business hub, Cape Town. Almost 8.9 to 9.2 million passengers use this airport annually. This airport is the second busiest Airport in Africa. It was in the year 1954 when this airport started operation and it is no doubt the best replacement of the previous airport of Cape Town, Wingfield Aerodrome. Passengers here have access to both domestic and international terminals.

3. King Shaka International Airport (DUR)

From Durban, King Shaka International Airport is just 30 km away. This airport is located at La Mercy to the north of Durban City. In just 7 years this airport developed hugely and now it made its entry in the list of top international airports in Africa. The airport started passenger serving in the year 2010.

4. Port Elizabeth Airport (PLZ)

This popular airport started its operation in the year 1929 and it is known as “Ten Minute Airport. From the central business district of Port Elizabeth, South Africa, it takes just five minutes to reach to this aerodrome. The terminal buildings, runways and the building for air traffic control were constructed in the period 1950 to 1955 and officially the airport was opened to the public in the year 1955. The construction for the extended accommodation for larger aircraft as well as the departure terminal started in the year 1973. The work got completed in 1980 and the terminal was opened to the passengers in that year.

5. Lanseria International Airport (HLA)

It is one of the privately owned airports in South Africa, managing departure and arrival of international flights. This airport is located at the north of Randburg and Sandton. As already mentioned it’s a privately owned airport, it was born being the brainchild of two pilots from Pretoria. There were Abe Sher and Fanie Haacke. The land on which the airport was constructed was taken on 99-year lease starting from 1972. After getting released from Jail, Nelson Mandela traveled via this airport to Johannesburg.

Read also: Accra Airport Guide

6. Kimberley Airport (KIM)

This is a domestic airport which is located in The Northern Cape region. It serves daily domestic flights in South Africa to Cape Town Airport as well as O.R Tambo Airport of Johannesburg. This Airport service is mostly availed by the business travelers. The runways are of 46 meters width and 3 kilometers long. There are many landmark areas in Kimberley and its surrounding which are explored by visitors. The airport is 10 km away from the center of the city. More than 170,000 passengers are managed and transported annually by the airport.

7. Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (MQP)

This airport is located at Mbombela (Nelspruit), which is known to be the gateway to one of the most iconic global game reserves, the Kruger National Park. The airport started its operation in October 2002. More than 260000 passengers are served by this airport annually. Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport was a key player in massively boosting the tourism industry here in this province of South Africa. It has a passenger capacity of 600,000 annually, and some expansion plans are in the future.

Additional Information

In 2021, a total of 15.13 million ton-kilometers of cargo was moved by air in South Africa.

The largest airlines in South Africa are South African Airways, Comair Limited and FlySafair. South African Airways is the national airline headquartered in Johannesburg. It offers both domestic and international flights. Despite financial difficulties in the past and a restructuring in 2020, it remains an important player in the region. Comair is a partner airline of British Airways and serves mainly domestic routes and selected destinations in Southern Africa.

The above-mentioned South African airports are known for offering the best services to passengers, both national and international. So, on your next trip to South Africa, make sure to enjoy impeccable service at these airports.