TownWingZA · KM
JNB ICAO FAORGauteng

O.R. Tambo International Airport

Included in our reviewed passenger-airport selection in Gauteng, O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB / FAOR) serves as South Africa’s largest international and domestic passenger hub on the East Rand in Gauteng, with Johannesburg (21 km) and Pretoria (44 km) as the closest destinations on the map.

SERVICE STATUS
Passenger flights — check your travel date
Serves: Johannesburg
Elevation: 5,558 ft (1694 m)
Coords: -26.1401°, 28.2468°
Official airport website ↗
CLOSEST IN DATASET

Six closest towns to O.R. Tambo International Airport

Straight-line Haversine distances from JNB to the six nearest South African cities and towns in the 60-destination TownWing dataset.

Johannesburg
Gauteng
21 km→
Pretoria
Gauteng
44 km→
Evaton
Gauteng
59 km→
Witbank
Mpumalanga
64 km→
Soshanguve
Gauteng
76 km→
Secunda
Mpumalanga
102 km→
ALL 60 DESTINATIONS

Check distance to another town

Select any of the 60 South African destinations to see its straight-line distance from O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB).

JNB↔Johannesburg
21 km

Straight-line distance between O.R. Tambo International Airport and the Johannesburg reference coordinate in Gauteng.

Compare passenger airports near Johannesburg →

How travellers use O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB)

Operated by ACSA and served by domestic, regional, and intercontinental carriers including Airlink and FlySafair, O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB) sits in Kempton Park 21 km east of Johannesburg’s reference coordinate. It is the #1 closest passenger airport in our comparison for Johannesburg (21 km), Evaton (59 km), Witbank (64 km), and Secunda (102 km), and sits 44 km south of Pretoria.

When comparing flight times or carrier options in the wider region, the closest alternative in our 18-airport passenger selection is Lanseria International Airport (HLA), located 39 km away when measured airport-to-airport. Depending on whether your final destination is closer to Johannesburg or Pretoria, compare both terminals’ flight schedules and ground transfer routes before booking.

Practical arrival and schedule checks at JNB

Because Gauteng also has Lanseria International Airport (HLA, 39 km northwest of JNB) plus several non-comparison general aviation airfields (Rand QRA, Grand Central GCJ, Brakpan FABB, and Springs FASI), confirm the JNB code on your booking and check the freeway or Gautrain route to your exact suburb.

Airline routes and frequencies at JNB vary by day of the week and season. Use the three-letter code JNB to verify live flight availability with your carrier and confirm car-hire or shuttle hours before locking in onward road plans.

REGIONAL ALTERNATIVES

Other passenger airports in the region

The three closest passenger-comparison airports to O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB) measured airport-to-airport by straight line.

HLA39 km

Lanseria International Airport

Serves Johannesburg · Gauteng
Passenger flights · check dates
PTG283 km

Polokwane International Airport

Serves Polokwane · Limpopo
Passenger flights · check dates
MQP298 km

Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport

Serves Mbombela · Mpumalanga
Passenger flights · check dates
TECHNICAL REFERENCE

Airport facts

Airport name
O.R. Tambo International Airport
IATA / ICAO / Ident
JNB / FAOR / FAOR
GPS / Local code
FAOR / —
Municipality & province
Johannesburg, Gauteng (ZA-GT)
Passenger service status
Passenger flights — check your travel date
Airport role
Passenger airport
Elevation
5,558 ft (1694 m)
Coordinates
-26.1401° S, 28.2468° E
Map reference
Open in Google Maps ↗
RUNWAY DATA

Runways at JNB

Recorded runway dimensions, surface codes, and lighting status from the OurAirports dataset. For general planning context only — not for flight operations.

2 runways recorded
RunwayLengthWidthSurfaceLighted
03L/21R4,418 m (14,495 ft) 61 m (200 ft) ASPYes
03R/21L3,400 m (11,155 ft) 60 m (197 ft) ASPYes
PROVENANCE & VERIFICATION

Updated & sources

Dataset snapshot: 2026-11-06 · Passenger service review: 2026-11-06 · Profile review: 2026-11-06