Quick Facts: OR Tambo Airport Hotels
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O.R. Tambo International Airport is Africa's busiest airport
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About 17 million passengers pass through it each year
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The Johannesburg airport houses a range of restaurants, fast food eateries, coffee bars and shops
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The terminal upgrades are focused on improving passenger flow and overall experience
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Medical clinic, wireless internet connectivity, increased parking
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The Gautrain station is located at the new Central Terminal Building
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O.R. Tambo International Airport was founded in 1952 and named after South African Prime Minister, the late Jan Smuts
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Jan Smuts Airport also played a role in the testing of the Concorde's high altitude performance in the 1970s
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Jan Smuts was renamed the Johannesburg Airport, retaining this neutral name for twelve years until it received the fresh, politically inspired name of O.R. Tambo
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Gautrain, the high-speed train to Johannesburg, Sandton & Pretoria
Distance to Airport: 0 km
Distance to City: 22 km
Introducing OR Tambo Airport Hotels
Currently undergoing a massive overhaul, O.R. Tambo International Airport is looking better than ever and would certainly have made ANC past president and devoted anti-apartheid politician Oliver Tambo proud. This is Africa's busiest airport, with some 17 million passengers passing through it each year. The airport houses a range of restaurants, fast food eateries, coffee bars and shops to keep travellers occupied during transit.
The terminal upgrades are focused on improving passenger flow and overall experience, with new facilities like a medical clinic, wireless internet connectivity, increased parking and the recently completed Gautrain station at the new Central Terminal Building.
The airport was founded in 1952 and named after South African Prime Minister, the late Jan Smuts. Shortly after its inception, a de Havilland Comet graced its runway all the way from Heathrow, London, marking the beginning of the commercial jet age. Jan Smuts Airport also played a role in the testing of the Concorde's high altitude performance in the 1970s.
With the entrenchment of Apartheid in South African policy and the ensuing foreign trade sanctions, air traffic to Jan Smuts dropped considerably, and its growth was consequently frozen. Today we see a very different picture. After the lifting of sanctions that marked the end of Apartheid, Jan Smuts was renamed the Johannesburg Airport, retaining this neutral name for twelve years until it received the current, politically inspired name of O.R. Tambo. The latest upgrade to the airport was at the cost of R5.2 billion.