Guest
House / B&B, 25 kilometers from this airport( 25 minutes drive). Tel: (011)
6803452 for bookings.
Transfers can be arranged. Click HERE for
pictures and info about this accommodation.
O R Tambo (Johannesburg International) Airport.
Video HERE
07
DEC 1947Johannesburg-Jan Smuts Airport Johannesburg International Airport
OCT 2006 Johannesburg-O.R. Tambo International Airport
Johannesburg International Airport is the world-class air transport hub of
southern Africa. It hosts airlines from all five continents, caters for more
than 13 million passengers each year and forms part of a global network of
trade, distribution and other economic activities. According to the Airports
Council International’s passenger statistics, Johannesburg International
Airport is busier than Brisbane and Dubai airports, and its passenger traffic
has even overtaken that of Cairo. The biggest and busiest airport on the
continent, it is now capable of handling 22 million passengers annually.
Since ACSA’s inception in 1993, Johannesburg International Airport’s growth
rate has been consistently high, putting the airport’s infrastructure under
pressure and making extra capacity and efficient movement of passengers a top
priority. ACSA is actively pursuing the development of Johannesburg
International Airport not only as an airport of excellence and an entry point
into the rest of Africa but also as an ‘aerocity’. Johannesburg
International Airport is currently one of the most cost-effective airports in
the world, according to a recent report by the United Kingdom Transportation
Research Laboratory.
To facilitate the achievement of its development objectives ACSA has divided
Johannesburg International Airport into nine precincts dedicated to increasing
and enhancing the efficiency and capacity of all operations. Most of these
precincts have undergone or will undergo major infrastructural changes and
development. Current plans include the CTB, the International Terminal upgrade,
a new apron, a train link and several multi-storey car parks. Surrounding road
infrastructure and access roads have also been recently upgraded.
The exponential increase in passengers necessitated the expansion and upgrading
of the terminal precinct. The new Domestic Terminal building, which was
completed in 2003, boosted Johannesburg International Airport’s capacity to
more than 16 million passengers a year. A R44-million domestic-to-international
passenger transfer facility was opened in April 2004 and the International
Terminal is presently undergoing a major upgrade.
The CTB, currently under construction, is being built on the site of the old
Domestic Terminal building situated between the present International Terminal
and the recently completed new Domestic Terminal. The design of a building
within the space designated for the CTB is unique and challenging, says Riley.
As a hub airport Johannesburg International Airport has a focus to maximise the
efficient processing of passengers and goods. The conceptual design challenge
for the CTB has been to find an even balance between the built infrastructural
requirements and the operational, technical and economic considerations of
Johannesburg International Airport. The airport aims for the highest standards
of service and its operations are run very tightly.
Concept plans for the CTB feature a spacious triple storey internal space, an
enormous central atrium with a glass dome allowing plenty of natural lighting,
lots of large and spacious open areas and overhead walkways to other buildings.
The airport station for a train link will also be integrated with the CTB. ACSA
is working closely with the Gauteng Provincial Government on the development of
a Gautrain high-speed link to Johannesburg International Airport.
With this development we are ensuring that Johannesburg International Airport
can cater for all the people who will be moving in many directions through this
hub. The enormous central atrium will serve as a single entry point for all
arriving and departing passengers as well as visitors to the airport. From this
central core they will then move in different directions into the various parts
of the building and further into connections with other parts of the airport,
depending on where they want to be.
