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City Guide - Johannesburg - Air | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Air Johannesburg International Airport (JNB) Tel: (011) 921 6262. Web site: www.airports.co.za Handling ten million passengers every year, Johannesburg International (formerly Jan Smuts) is Africa's busiest (many say best) airport. The Airports Company (ACSA) has invested 1.16 billion Rand upgrading facilities since 1993 and this figure will reach three billion Rand when the project reaches completion in 2006. Situated 19km (12 miles) east of the city centre, a total of 51 international airline operators use JNB's facilities on a regular basis with flights to and from over 60 cities in 50 countries. Major airlines: National airline South African Airways (SAA) (tel: (011) 978 1000; web site: www.saa.co.za) connects JNB to all of South Africa's major towns and cities, as well as to the capital cities of all of southern Africa's countries. Other major carriers that operate from JNB include Air France, Alitalia, American Airlines, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, Egypt Air, El-Al, KLM, Lufthansa, Malaysian Airlines, Moscow Airways, Olympic Airways, Qantas Airways, Sabena, Singapore Airlines, Swissair, Virgin Atlantic. Approximate flight times to Johannesburg: From London is 10 hours 50 minutes; from New York (via London) is 17 hours 45 minutes; from Los Angeles (via London) is 21 hours 10 minutes; from Toronto (via London) is 17 hours 55 minutes and from Sydney (via Perth) is 17 hours. Airport facilities: These include 24-hour help phones, 24-hour food hall, bureaux de change, 24-hour telephone centre, banks, ATMs, travel agent, tourist information centre, left-luggage, car hire (Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz, Imperial, Tempest), duty free, shops, restaurants, bars, chapel, Muslim prayer rooms, 45-room transit hotel and an emergency medical clinic. Business facilities: There is a business centre (tel: (011) 390 1330), which contains a ten-room conference centre, mobile phone rental, VIP facilities and a media conference room. Arrival/departure tax: Included in the ticket price. Transport to the city: For central destinations, Impala (tel: (011) 975 0510) runs buses daily (0615-2030), departing every 45 minutes for the Park City train and coach terminus in Braamfontein near the city centre. Except during rush hours (0700-0900 and 1600-1800), when there can be serious delays, the trip takes about 40 minutes. Tickets (R60 one way) can be booked from the company's desk near the International Arrivals exit. For less central destinations, there are shuttle buses, such as the Magic Bus (tel: (011) 328 8092), Airport Link (tel: (011) 792 2017), Welcome Tours (tel: (011) 442 8905) and TTC (tel: (011) 447 1052), which charge around R200 for the door-to-door transfer. Taking a taxi (those that are airport-approved will display a green, yellow and white sticker) from the airport may be quicker than the bus or shuttle, but visitors should make sure the driver knows exactly where to go before setting off. A taxi will cost at least R200-300 for anywhere within Johannesburg and the fare should be agreed upon before boarding. |
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