UncategorizedJohannesburg is served by two main airports — OR Tambo International in Kempton Park, and Lanseria International to the north-west. If you have a choice of flights, or you’re booking connecting transport for a trip, it’s worth understanding how the two differ before you decide.
OR Tambo International Airport
OR Tambo is South Africa’s primary international gateway and by far the busier of the two. It handles the vast majority of long-haul international flights into Johannesburg, along with most domestic and regional routes operated by the larger carriers. It sits east of the city in Kempton Park, close to the N12 and R21, making it a reasonably direct run to the East Rand, Pretoria (via the N1/N12), and Sandton (roughly 25-30km, generally 30-45 minutes depending on traffic).
Because it’s a major international hub, OR Tambo has a broader range of facilities — more terminals, lounges, car rental counters and transport options, including the Gautrain rail link. For a full overview, see our OR Tambo airport transfers page.
Lanseria International Airport
Lanseria is a smaller airport north-west of Johannesburg, popular for domestic flights and an increasing number of low-cost carrier and regional routes. It’s notably closer to the northern suburbs — Fourways, Sandton’s northern edge, and parts of Randburg — and can be a genuinely convenient option if your final destination is in that part of the city rather than the CBD or East Rand. It’s also a common choice for private and charter flights.
Being smaller, Lanseria is generally quicker to move through — shorter queues, a more compact terminal — but it has fewer flight options overall, particularly for long-haul international travel. See our Lanseria airport transfers page for transfer details.
Distance Comparison at a Glance
- To Sandton: OR Tambo is typically the shorter, more direct run; Lanseria is a bit further but still very manageable, generally 30-45 minutes depending on traffic and route.
- To Fourways: Lanseria has the edge here — it sits much closer to Fourways and the northern suburbs than OR Tambo does.
- To Pretoria: Both airports are workable, with OR Tambo often slightly more direct via the N1, though this depends heavily on your specific destination within Pretoria and time of day.
Which Airport Should You Choose?
If you’re flying internationally on a major carrier, OR Tambo is likely your only option — it handles the bulk of long-haul routes. If you have flexibility and your destination is in the northern suburbs, or you’re booking a domestic or regional flight with a carrier that serves Lanseria, it can shave meaningful time off your ground transport. For business travel into Sandton specifically, see our guide to getting from OR Tambo to Sandton.
Transfers From Either Airport
Whichever airport you land at, pre-booked transport takes the guesswork out of the ground transfer. A2B Shuttle operates fixed-price transfers from both OR Tambo and Lanseria, with meet-and-greet service, live flight tracking, and a fleet that scales from a Standard Sedan up to a Mercedes Sprinter for larger groups.
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