Africa Travel Newsletters > African Airline Hubs and Airports
1. A Look at the Leading African Airline Hubs and Airports
Africa's airport hubs play a vital role in the global
aviation sector as they connect America to Asia, and numerous passengers fly from Asia via Africa to get to North America. Johannesburg in the south, Cairo
in the north, Lagos and Nairobi to the west and east
respectively, are Africa's most important airport hubs in
each region.
The 10 busiest international airports in Africa are Johannesburg (South Africa), Cairo (Egypt), Cape Town (South Africa), Sharm el-Sheikh (Egypt), Hurghada (Egypt), Mohammed V International (Morocco), Jomo Kenyatta (Kenya), Durban (South Africa), Murtala Mohammed (Nigeria), and Monastir
(Tunisia).
South Africa is the gateway for air travel in the Southern African region. The country is located on the most southerly tip of Africa,
and is surrounded by the Indian Ocean to the east and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. It is and bordered to the north by Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia,
Swaziland and Zimbabwe.
South Africa has three capital cities; Bloemfontein - capital of the judiciary, Pretoria - administrative capital and
Cape Town - legislative capital, while Johannesburg and Durban are actually the largest cities.
South Africa has airports in all of its major towns,
each with an excellent infrastructure. The three main airports in South Africa are Johannesburg International Airport, Cape Town International Airport and
Durban International Airport. South African airports handle flights by numerous international airlines from destinations throughout Europe, North America and
other parts of the world. South Africa is a 12 hours and 12.5 hours direct flight from London to Cape Town and Johannesburg
respectively.
Johannesburg International Airport, also known as O.R. Tambo International Airport (ORTIA), is the major gateway to South Africa
offering international arrivals and departures, domestic flights and connections to the rest of Africa. With over 50 airlines, the airport is the busiest hub
in Africa and it handles 130,000 flights and over 20 million passengers annually. A good number of people from Asia and Australia fly through Johannesburg on
their way to America.
Located 22 km east of Johannesburg city centre, Johannesburg International Airport has six terminals housed in one enormous
airport building, with Terminal 1 and 2 being dedicated to
international flights into South Africa. Terminal 3
handles South African Airways (SAA) and South African Express Airways domestic arrivals, and Terminal 4 handles non-SAA domestic arrivals. Terminal 5 and 6
are for domestic departure and international departures respectively.
Opportunities for duty-free shopping are plenty at the Big Five Duty Free, the
main duty-free shop located inside Johannesburg International Airport. The shop is world renowned as it is second in size only to that of London's Heathrow
Airport. The airport has recently been upgraded in preparation for the FIFA 2010 World Cup tournament.
Many flights to South Africa are also
available direct to Cape Town International Airport, and a few direct cheap flights to South Africa are available to Durban International Airport. Cape Town
International Airport is the second largest airport in South Africa, and is the gateway to the Western Cape. The airport handles over 6 million passengers
annually, and is a major gateway for South Africa tourist traffic. It was until the mid-1990s named DF Malan Airport after apartheid era Prime Minister
Daniel François Malan.
Cape Town International Airport, located 22km east of Cape Town's city centre on the N2 highway has experienced
massive expansion and renovation over the past decade and its modern design, clean and efficient interior and extensive facilities have earned it many
awards.
The airport offers direct flights to a number of destinations worldwide, including London, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Buenos Aires and Windhoek.
Domestic flights to Johannesburg, Durban, Port Elizabeth, East London and Bloemfontein also depart from Cape Town International Airport.
Durban
International Airport is, on the other hand, the gateway to the alluring beaches of Durban and the surrounding areas. During the festive and holiday seasons,
local and foreign tourists flock to the beaches of Durban and surrounding destinations. Durban airport is located 16 km from Durban city centre and it serves
about 2.5 million passengers annually.
There are several low cost airline companies in South Africa operating regionally to countries such as
Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Madagascar. There are also many charter flight companies operating within South Africa offering cheap flights for private
trips, Africa game viewing and to the numerous South Africa safari and game lodges.
Most of the major international airlines offer flights to South
Africa terminating at Johannesburg International Airport and Cape Town International Airport; domestic carriers connect to other cities of South Africa. Some
of the major airlines currently offering flights to South Africa are Air France, American Airlines, British Airways, Delta, Emirates, Kenya Airways, KLM,
South African Airways and Virgin Atlantic among many others.
The chief tourist destinations in South Africa are the Cape Winelands, the Table
Mountain, Durban, and Gauteng among other South Africa safari destinations.
Cairo International Airport is the second largest airport in Africa and
is the gateway to Africa's north. The airport, located some 15km to the north-east of Cairo – the capital city of Egypt. It is the busiest airport in
Egypt and the primary hub for EgyptAir- the country's national airline and one of Africa's largest airlines. EgyptAir offers domestic services as well as
flights to Europe, the Middle East, India, Thailand and several African destinations including Nairobi, Addis Ababa, and Johannesburg.
In July 2008,
EgyptAir was assimilated into Star Alliance- the world's largest airline alliance. This partnership is expected to increase Cairo International Airport's
potential to become the largest hub in Africa with its positioning between Africa, the Middle East and Europe.
Cairo International Airport has two
terminals with a third one under construction scheduled for completion in the first quarter 2009. Cairo International Airport’s two terminals receive
flights to Egypt from major world cities including those in North America, Europe, Asia and Africa. The airport is the
second busiest airport in Africa after Johannesburg International Airport, and in 2007 handled 12.6 million passengers and just over 125,000 aircraft
departures.
Egypt’s history stretches back over 7,000 years and among its most widely recognized icons are the Pyramids, the Sphinx and the
River Nile. Cairo is Africa's most populous city with a head count of 17 million. The city attracts numerous visitors from all over the globe throughout
primarily attracted by its many breathtaking sites and ancient wonders.
Among the greatest attraction in Cairo lie in the area known as Giza, which
is the home of the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx. Giza is located about 40 km from Cairo International Airport.
Egyptian archaeologists recently
discovered a 4,300-year-old pyramid in Saqqara, the sprawling necropolis and burial site of the rulers of ancient Memphis. The new discovery is expected to
boost tourism in the region.
Sharm el-Sheikh International Airport is the second busiest airport in Egypt after Cairo International Airport. Located
to the northeast of Cairo, and 15 km from the downtown area of Sharm city, it is well served mainly by charter flights to Europe, as well as some domestic
and international scheduled services. A second terminal was opened in 2007, giving the airport the capacity to handle 8 million passengers a year. Plans are
underway to build a third terminal at the airport.
Sharm el-Sheikh's location close to the Red Sea makes the town an ideal place for scuba diving.
The Red Sea's stunning underwater scenery and warm water have over the years attracted numerous visitors from all over the world.
Hurghada
International Airport , located in the Egyptian resort town of Hurghada is the third busiest airport in Egypt. In 2007 the airport handled 5.9 million
passengers. Equally busy is Luxor International Airport, located in central Egypt. The airport serves the Nile Valley and it a convenient gateway for people
heading to the popular tourist destinations of the region.
Among the chief attractions in Luxor city are grand temples and ancient examples of Egypt
architecture. Equally spectacular is the Valley of the Kings, which is the site of King Tutankhamen’s tomb.
The airport in Luxor has a number
of cheap flights to Frankfurt, Vienna, Zurich, Aswan, Cairo, Kuwait, London, Rome, Newcastle and many other places. The Luxor International Airport has two
terminals serving international and local flights. The airport serves more than 3 million passengers annually.
The eastern and central regions of
Africa are easily accessed through Nairobi, Kenya, a city that is home to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA). Kenya is particularly expected to
receive numerous visitors in the near future thanks to the victory of US President-elect Barrack Obama who has ancestral roots in Kenya. Mr Obama's father,
Senator Obama Sr, was born at Kogelo village in Western Kenya. The region is currently drawing numerous visitors from around the world who wants to explore
the Obama village.
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport is situated 15km from Nairobi's city centre. Originally the airport was designed for 2.5
million passengers per year, but in 2007 served 4.9 million passengers. Major major expansion works are underway, which is expected to increase capacity to 9
million passengers a year.
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport is the busiest airport in East and Central Africa, and the 7th busiest in Africa. The
airport has 49 scheduled airlines and direct flight connections to Europe, the Middle East, Far East and the African Continent.
Airlines flying
internationally to Nairobi include Dutch KLM, British Airways, Swiss Air, Sabena, Air India, South African Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Virgin
Atlantic, Kenya Airways and Ethiopian Airlines among others. Ethiopian Airlines has one of the most extensive networks in Africa (20 countries) and it also
flies to Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the US.
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport’s is served by one terminal building that has three
units catering for both arrivals and departures. Unit 1 and 2 are mainly used for international flights whereas unit 3 is mainly used for domestic
flights.
JKIA is the main hub for Kenya Airways – Kenya's national airline that flies daily to London as well as several other European
destinations. The airline also services a number of countries within Africa: Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and
Nigeria.
Kenya is a famous safari destination for its numerous game reserves that host incredible wildlife. Some of the major national parks popular
for
wildlife safaris in Kenya are Masai (Maasai) Mara, Tsavo, and Samburu national parks among others.
Nigeria is
home to the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, the busiest international airport in Western Africa and 9th busiest in Africa. Located at Ikeja in Lagos,
Nigeria, the airport is the main international gateway to the oil-rich west African country. Murtala Mohammed International Airport has two terminals;
one for the domestic flights and the other for international flights. The airport served over 4.5 million passengers in 2007 and it is a major gateway to the
rest of west African countries.
Generally many of Africa's international airport facilities are currently being expanded and upgraded to form a
network of air bridges for business and tourism.
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