Drop-off and collection chaos at South Africa’s busiest airport in peak tourist season

OR Tambo has partially shut its lower roadway, where arrivals are picked up, forcing passengers and taxi drivers to be diverted through its parking area to exit the airport.

By departing passengers, Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport is the busiest Airport in Africa by far, and the second-busiest in Africa.

Data from the global travel data organisation OAG shows that OR Tambo recorded 1,224,799 departing seats in December 2025. This is an increase of 6.8% compared to December 2024.

South Africa’s second busiest airport, Cape Town International Airport, recorded 663,879 departing seats. 

OR Tambo is one of a handful of airports in the world with direct flights to all inhabited continents. 

These airports are major travel hotspots: Dubai International Airport, London Heathrow, Paris Charles de Gaulle and John F. Kennedy International. 

Recent upgrades allow the airport to handle up to 19 million passengers a year. 

In November, however, just as the high-tourist season for South Africa begins, and OR Tambo is due to see millions arrive and depart the country, the airport has put road closures in place, making pick-up and drop-off a difficult exercise.

On 27 November, the airport announced that road closures were put in place “as we continue important activities and infrastructure upgrades across the airport precinct.”

The lower roadway, which is the arrivals area, was partially shut. The Airport said it will remain so “until further notice,” potentially throughout peak season. 

While the short-term parking area remains open, areas beyond the pedestrian crossing and the spine road are restricted and will be strictly managed. 

The airport has advised those picking up or dropping off passengers to use parkade 2 North and South instead. 

Expect delays

“Should a passenger or their loved one arrive on the lower road, they will be rerouted to the parkade for collection and drop off,” said Airports Company South Africa (ACSA).

Each passenger being collected or dropped off by friends and family or by a taxi service will have to enter and exit the airport parkade, causing major traffic jams and lengthy disruptions. 

ACSA has advised passengers to factor in this delay and allow extra travel time. 

Newsday has reached out to ACSA regarding the delays and requested further information about when the restrictions will be lifted and what work is being carried out. A response will be added if received. 

OR Tambo International Airport originally began operations in 1952, under the name “Jan Smuts Airport.”

It served as a military airfield during World War II and only transitioned into a civilian airport afterwards.

By the 1960s and 1970s, it had already cemented itself as one of the biggest and busiest airports in Africa. 

In 1994, the airport’s name was swiftly changed to Johannesburg International Airport, but in 2006 it was renamed to honour the late former ANC president. 

The airport underwent a major upgrade ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and today, 41 airlines use the airport to fly to 93 global locations.