The South African international airport where everything works

Located just outside of Johannesburg, Lanseria International Airport is one of the best-operated airports in South Africa. It is often insulated from the challenges experienced at other airports, particularly OR Tambo. 

Most of South Africa’s international airports, such as OR Tambo and Cape Town International Airport, are operated by Airports Company South Africa (ACSA). 

In the past few months, South Africa’s two busiest airports have been plagued by operational challenges, resulting in delayed flights and, in some cases, rerouted to alternative locations. 

OR Tambo’s main fuel valve failed in December 2024, delaying flights and cancellations as no redundancy measures were in place. 

This issue pales in comparison to the country’s busiest airport being at risk of running out of jet fuel altogether, as a fire at Natref took out 72% of the airport’s supply. 

The airport currently has around a week’s worth of jet fuel left in storage as ACSA scrambles to find alternative suppliers. 

ACSA expects the repairs at the refinery to be back online by 21 February and regular supply to resume on 27 February. 

Airlines have been informed and encouraged to travel with additional fuel from their point of origin or to refuel at other airports. 

They retain the discretion to take proactive measures, including adjusting their operations to mitigate the impact of the shortage.

Similar challenges are experienced at Cape Town International Airport, with a fuel pump issue leading to flight delays and cancellations this week. 

ACSA said in a statement that a power failure due to a damaged cable disrupted operations at Cape Town’s fuel depot, impacting the refuelling of jets on 22 January. 

With these problems occurring at South Africa’s two busiest airports, fliers travelling between Johannesburg and Cape Town have been left stranded. 

Lanseria International Airport

In contrast to other international airports in South Africa, Lanseria International Airport appears to be insulated from these challenges. 

As South Africa’s only privately-owned and operated international airport, Lanseria has become well-known for its efficiency and reliability. 

Founded in 1972 as a grass strip airfield by Pretoria pilots Fanie Haacke and Abe Sher, the airport has rapidly expanded to handle some of the world’s largest jets. 

Haacke and Sher planned to build the busiest airport in the country, and armed with R2.7 million in the capital, they set about building an alternative international airport for Johannesburg. 

With backing from the Minister of Planning at the time, the two pilots overcame protests from farmers who did not want a busy airport bordering their quiet farmland. 

However, South Africa’s economic hub desperately needed an alternative airport to ease congestion at OR Tambo International, formerly known as Jan Smuts International. 

The Roodepoort and Krugersdorp Municipalities bought the airport to cement the government’s backing to create an alternative transport hub in Johannesburg. 

In 1974, the airport opened its doors to privately operated aircraft and steadily grew in popularity throughout the 1980s. 

Nelson Mandela’s release from prison in 1990 would bring Lanseria into the global spotlight, with the international icon landing at Lanseria on his return to Johannesburg.

Lanseria regularly hosts airshows that include some of the world’s latest commercial and military aircraft to prove its facilities and safety credentials. 

Lanseria Airport goes private

The upgrades needed to ensure Lanseria could service larger jets with newer technology required consistent investment, which was something the Roodepoort and Krugersdorp Municipalities were increasingly unwilling to do. 

In 1991, the airport was sold to a consortium of private investors, ensuring Lanseria would be independently owned and operated. 

The investors announced a significant R500 million revamp to ensure the airport could handle larger narrow-bodied jets such as the Boeing 757. 

By the mid-2000s, the airport would have a new central terminal building, and all of its runways and taxiways had been comprehensively upgraded. 

In 2012, the airport was sold to another consortium of investors consisting of infrastructure developers Harith, the women’s empowerment company Nozala and the Government Employee Pension Fund (GEPF).

These investors continued the airport’s expansion into what it is today, adding a completely new runway and air traffic control tower. 

A new series of upgrades are underway after being unveiled in July 2024 to expand Lanseria’s capacity and attract more regional carriers, further easing the burden on OR Tambo. 

The new developments include establishing new maintenance, repair, and overhaul facilities, new fixed-based operator facilities and a fuel depot, and taxiway upgrades. 

Crucially, a new fuel depot would further insulate Lanseria from the challenges experienced by OR Tambo and Cape Town International. 

Lanseria International Airport CEO Rampa Rammopo said the new facilities and fuel depot would position the airport as a one-stop-shop for all aircraft needs. 

He said these improvements will address many of the current limitations that may be deterring airlines from operating at the airport.  

Lanseria is also getting new owners, with private equity firm Harith agreeing to buy out its partners in the Pan African Infrastructure Development Fund. These partners include the GEPF, Absa, and Old Mutual.

Lanseria Airport photos