Top 10 Best Airports in Africa; Most Popular Internationally

Do you seek to know the best airports in Africa? The number of airports in Africa is growing in number as the continent wakes up to participate in international travel.

Air transport has increased dramatically on the continent in the last 10 years and this has led to improvements and improvements in the number of existing international airports, as well as the construction of new ones.

In the past, most African countries have one, two or three international airports, but that number is starting to gradually increase in recent times. There are a number of African airports that are worth mentioning when considering the 10 best airports in Africa.

Here are the best international airports in Africa

10. Port Elizabeth International Airport, South Africa

Located in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, it is one of the best airports in Africa. Known as the “ten-minute airport”, the airport is owned and operated by the Airports Company of South Africa (ACSA) and is a five-minute drive from the central business district and the beach. It is no more than a ten-minute drive from other major areas of the city.

Port Elizabeth International Airport currently handles more than one million passengers each year and more than 800 tons of cargo, including flowers, frozen lobster, etc. With the modern update of the terminal, the airport can handle up to 2 million passengers per year.

9. Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi, Kenya

Jomo Kenyatta International Airport is Kenya’s largest airport and the busiest airport in the East and Central Africa region. It is located 18 kilometers east of the capital, Nairobi, and has 49 airlines with direct flights to Europe, the Middle East, the Far East and other African countries.

The airport handles more than 5 million passengers each year. Post office, bank, restaurants, cafes, bars, VIP lounge, duty-free shop, kiosk/tobacconist, automatic change machine, exchange office, tourist assistance service, car rental, taxi service/line, first aid, Disabled Access / Facilities, Baby / Parent Room, Business Center are some of the facilities on the ground.

8. Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, Nigeria

Located in Lagos, the busiest in West Africa is Murtala Muhammed International Airport. The airport was officially opened on March 15, 1979. With both national and international terminals, the total number of aircraft movements exceeds 100,000 per year and handles more than 6 million passengers each year.

Major airlines such as Emirates, Ocean Air, Delta, British Airways, Turkish Airlines, KLM and China Southern Airlines have landing rights at Nigeria’s largest international airport.

7. Mohammed V International Airport, Casablanca, Morocco

Mohammed V International Airport (airport code CMN) is located in Morocco about 30 kilometers southeast of Casablanca. It is operated by ONDA (National Airport Office). It is the busiest airport in Morocco with almost 7.25 million passengers passing through the airport annually.

Each week, there are about 182 flights to Paris, more than 17 flights to New York, and more than 14 flights to Dubai and Frankfurt. Casablanca is one of the main commercial and industrial cities in the southern Mediterranean. Cargo operations are expected to expand dramatically in the coming years.

6. Sharm El-Sheikh International Airport, Egypt

Sharm El-Sheikh International Airport located 18 kilometers (11 miles) northeast of the city of Sharm El Sheikh is considered the second major airport (after Cairo) in Egypt. The airport handles approximately 10 million passengers a year. The airport is located in the heart of the tourist area, close to the Red Sea coast. The Egypt Airports Company announced plans to build a third new terminal at the airport that will double its capacity from 7.5 to 15 million passengers per year. The main air traffic consists of seasonal charter flights from Western and Eastern Europe, Scandinavian and Baltic countries, Russia and CIS countries. The airport infrastructure has been constantly improved to increase the quality of passenger services.

5. Hurghada International Airport, Hurghada, Egypt

Hurghada International Airport is located inland: about 5 km (3 miles) southwest of Hurghada city in El Dahar district). The aerial facility serves Hurghada, the center of Egypt’s Red Sea Governorate, the port city of Safaga and many other amazing Red Sea beaches and water resorts such as Al Quseir, Soma Bay, El Gouna, Al-Mahmya, Sharm The Naga and Makadi Bay.

Currently, the airport has one terminal, but with the construction of a new terminal complex with an annual passenger capacity of 7.5 million that is currently underway, it will give passengers access to a wide variety of shops, free boutiques tax and restaurants.

More than 40 aircraft operate charter flights to cities in Western and Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, Russia and the CIS countries. Today, the airport has undergone massive renovations to accommodate the dramatically increasing leisure traffic.

4. Cairo International Airport, Cairo, Egypt

Cairo International Airport is Egypt’s largest airport and is on the list of the main busiest airports in Africa with more than 65 airlines using it annually. Located northeast of the city, about 15 kilometers from the city’s commercial area, it has an area of ​​approximately 37 square kilometers.

The airport has three terminals and a new cargo terminal was recently built. The airport is managed by Egyptian Holding Co. for Airports and Air Navigation (EHCAAN), which controls four other companies.

The airport has four terminals. Terminal 1 handles national and international travelers. Terminal 3 and the seasonal Terminal were opened in 2008 and 2011 respectively.

3. King Shaka International Airport, Durban, South Africa

King Shaka International Airport, opened in May 2010 and also known as La Mercy Airport is the main airport facility serving Durban, South Africa. Located approximately 35 km north of the city of Durban, this world-class facility offers a number of features to make your travel experience as comfortable and enjoyable as possible.

King Shaka International is said to be three times the size of Durban International Airport and has five times as many stores. With 102,000 m² of surface area in its passenger terminal building, the airport currently handles around 5 million passengers each year, but has the capacity to handle 7.5 million passengers, with plenty of room for future expansion if required necessary.

2. Cape Town International Airport, Cape Town, South Africa

Cape Town International Airport is Africa’s second-largest airport, located approximately 20 km from the city center. It has established a reputation as Africa’s premier award-winning and VIP international destination, consistently performing among the best in the world for service in its category.

In 2015, 14 million passengers passed through Cape Town International and in general Cape Town has many tourist attractions, so you may want to stop by Cape Town the next time you travel.

1. O.R. Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg, South Africa

On what can be described as an all top South African3 list, OR Tambo International Airport (ORTIA) Johannesburg tops the list of the best airports in Africa. It is the air transport hub of southern Africa. Handling more than 17 million passengers each year and recent infrastructure updates mean that OR Tambo can now handle up to 28 million passengers a year. It is nothing but the largest and busiest airport in Africa.

With more than 18,000 people employed by various companies at ORTIA, the airport boasts an impressive infrastructure that has expanded thousands of square meters from its modest origins.

OR Tambo International Airport is home to airlines from five continents and is being managed by the South African Airports Company (ACSA). Named as a tribute to one of South Africa’s greatest founding fathers Oliver Reginald Tambo, affectionately known as OR by his peers.