Johannesburg International Airport

JOHANNESBURG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Airports Company South Africa (ACSA), the largest airports authority in Africa, owns and operates South Africa's nine principal airports, including the three major international airports in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban.

Johannesburg International Airport (JIA) is the air transport hub of Southern Africa, catering for over 11 million passengers each year. With more than 18 000 people employed by various companies at JIA, the airport plays a vital role in the city's and Gauteng province's economy and boasts an impressive infrastructure that has expanded by thousands of square metres from its modest origins.

This hub hosts airlines from all five continents. JIA has an important role to play in serving the air transport needs of Africa as a whole and it is our commitment to do this to the best of our ability.

The departures level of Terminal B.

JIA's commercial transformation

JIA is ACSA's flagship success story and accounts for over half of the throughput of all ACSA airports, while contributing more than 70% of the group's profit. It has overtaken Cairo in terms of passenger traffic. Passenger Traffic has climbed steadily over the past couple of years, with the figures now in excess of 11 million passengers a year, to become Africa's busiest airport.

JIA's greatest success lies in its commercial transformation. The dramatic R210 million duty free retail mall contributed largely to JIA increasing its net operating income by more than 120%, fuelled by growth in non-aeronautical revenues over three times greater than aeronautical revenues.

Airport visitors move through the new Domestic Terminal on opening day (11 Feb 2003).

Tight and effective management has found JIA to be one of the most cost-effective airports in the world, according to a 1999 report by the United Kingdom Transportation Research Laboratory.

As a world-class air transport hub for Sub-Saharan Africa, sharp focus has been directed at maintaining and constantly developing and enhancing service level standards to offer our clients the very best service possible.

Historical highlights

JIA has come a long way since its unassuming beginnings in 1952 (the current international terminal was built only 20 years later, in 1972). Since 1993 several major developments have made it almost unrecognisable to those who were familiar with the original structure:

A R268 million investment in the international arrivals terminal, opened in 1999;
The dramatic new duty free retail mall showcasing international and local high-street brands, opened in 1999;
A 4000-bay multi-storey parkade, opened in 1998;
Two new public transport termini, opened in 2000;
The luxury Airport Sun Inter-Continental Hotel on the doorstep of the terminal buildings, opened in 2001; and
The new domestic terminal, the most ambitious project in the JIA precinct to date, opened in February 2003.

The public can access the Aircraft Viewing Deck from the departures level
of the new terminal. From the deck, visitors can watch the activities
on the runways and aprons, benefiting from the full 180 degree view.

Air traffic control facilities

To ensure safety in poor weather conditions, the main runways at JIA are equipped with category II instrument landing systems and related visual navigational aids, which are conscientiously maintained.

Retail and commercial growth

JIA's strategy has been maximised with the opening of the duty free retail mall. Passenger spend has increased by a dramatic 66% as a result of the exciting and varied goods on offer. Retail income is one of three principal sources of revenue and is a key element in the company's strategy to optimise non-aeronautical income streams.

The opening of the new domestic terminal in February 2003 has significantly expanded ACSA's retail facilities. The new terminal offers a huge array of restaurants, shops and services, to meet the needs of passengers as well as other airport users.

Special facilities at JIA

JIA has the following facilities for passengers' convenience:

a chapel;
prayer facilities for Islamic passengers;
a conference facility as well as a Postnet, offering business support services, and a Post Office in the International Terminal
a 45-room transit hotel;
an emergency medical clinic with trained nurses and paramedics on duty and doctors on 24-hour standby;
an unaccompanied minors area;
a baggage storage facility;
a media conference room, often used by South African cabinet ministers as well as by foreign VIPs.
a five star luxury hotel on the doorstep of the airport terminals.
Internet access is available within the terminals using the Airport Online facility in International Departures. Two Airport Online stores are located in the domestic terminal. One is open to the general public and is located near the ATM area in the shopping area. The second is located for use by passengers only and is situated just after the main security point prior to the boarding gates.