The airport is quite large and has two terminals – A and B. In reality, however, it consists of a single building divided into several sections, and it is possible to get around the airport on foot.

Although it is a large airport, finding your way round is not at all difficult, and you can get from one end to the other in 15 minutes.

Book a hotel near Johannesburg Airport

The airport has no satellite terminals in the middle of the airfield that you would need to reach by automated trains or buses.

• Terminal A
  • The area beyond security serves all international flights
  • Check-in desks in the public area for the following airlines: Air Botswana, Ethiopian Airlines,Kenya Airways, Lufthansa,Malawi Airlines, South African Airways, Swiss

• Terminal B
  • The area beyond security serves all domestic flights
  • Check-in desks in the public area for the following airlines: Air France,Air Mauritius,Airlink, CemAir, Condor, Emirates,FlySafair, KLM,LIFT, Proflight Zambia, United

If you are checking in at Terminal B for an international flight, the security checkpoint at Terminal A is only about a 3-minute walk away.

The area beyond security is quite spacious, with plenty of shops and restaurants. There are a fair number of seats at the departure gates, and overall I find Johannesburg Airport to be a pleasant and comfortable place.

Connecting flights

As the airport has just one large terminal, transferring between flights in Johannesburg is very straightforward.

International -> Domestic

After disembarking, follow the signs for ‘Domestic Transfer ’, which will guide you to immigration control.

There are dedicated counters for transfer passengers, and waiting times range from 15 to 30 minutes.

You will then collect your luggage, go through customs (within 5 minutes) and leave the transit area. You will then walk through the concourse to Terminal B, where you will check in your luggage and go through security.

• Typical transfer time –50 to 75 minutes

Domestic → International

After disembarking, make your way to the exit to leave the transit area.

If you have a connecting flight booked on a single ticket, your luggage will be checked through from your point of departure to your final destination, so you do not need to worry about it when transferring in Johannesburg.

Proceed through the public area to Terminal A, where you will go through passport control and security screening.

• Typical transfer time –45 to 70 minutes

International <-> International

After disembarking, follow the signs for International Transfer , which will lead you to a special transit counter where you will receive a stamp in your passport marked ‘Transit’.

This is not a standard immigration check, as you will not formally be entering South African territory; however, you must have blank pages in your passport.

This counter is followed by a security check.

If you have a connecting flight on a single ticket, your luggage will be checked through to your final destination and you will not need to collect it in Johannesburg.

• Typical transfer time –30 to 45 minutes

In the international transit area, there is Protea Transit Hotel *** reserved exclusively for transfer passengers.

Domestic <-> Domestic

In Johannesburg, domestic passengers also have their own arrivals corridor, so they must exit into the public area and go through security screening again.

Your luggage will be checked through to your final destination.

• Typical transfer time –15 to 25 minutes

On this website, we describe our experiences of travelling fromairportsto city centres around the world and recommendthe top attractions worth visiting worldwide.