Business Class Flights To Johannesburg, South Africa

The largest city in South Africa, Johannesburg is the capital of the country’s Gauteng Province. Johannesburg residents sometimes refer to it as the “City of Gold,” a nickname that harkens back to the city’s origins in the late 19th century when it was established as a gold mining town. Today, Johannesburg and its surrounding metro area are home to nearly 15 million people, making it one of the largest cities in the world by population.

Travelers who take a business class flight to Johannesburg usually arrive at the region’s O. R. Tambo International Airport (JNB), which is located in the nearby suburb of Kempton Park. The airport serves nearly 28 million passengers per year and is the hub for South African Airways. O.R. Tambo International Airport was named for the South African anti-apartheid activist and politician Oliver Reginald Tambo, who served as the president of the African National Congress from 1967 to 1991. O. R. Tambo International Airport is the second largest airport in Africa by passenger traffic.

Flights to Johannesburg, South Africa, also sometimes arrive at Lanseria International Airport (HLA), a smaller international airport located in the Johannesburg suburb of Sandton.

Ground transportation from either airport is often most reliable by taxi or a private car service, as Johannesburg’s public transportation system is not as comprehensive or robust as those found in many other large cities. However, the city’s Gautrain Rapid Rail System does maintain a station at O. R. Tambo International Airport. The Gautrain Rapid Rail System, which is just 50 miles long, connects the airport to stations in Johannesburg, Pretoria, and Kempton Park.

Visitors who book flights to Johannesburg still have some public transportation options, however. The city’s rapid transit bus system, Rea Vaya, has routes throughout the city and its surrounding suburbs. Johannesburg is also home to a commuter rail network, the Metrorail Gauteng Commuter Rail System, that connects the city center to some of its outlying areas, such as Soweto, Pretoria, Sandton, and Rosebank.

Business travelers from across the globe frequently book flights to Johannesburg, South Africa. It is the country’s business and financial center, home to the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and to the headquarters of several large banks, real estate companies, and financial firms. A large percentage of the city’s economic activity also comes from manufacturing, heavy industry, and the mining industry. Several African mining companies maintain their corporate headquarters in Johannesburg, which adds to the large number of business class flights to Johannesburg. 

Although it is a relatively young city, Johannesburg serves as South Africa’s cultural hub. Leisure travelers who take flights to Johannesburg often come to visit the city’s many museums and art galleries, as well as to attend performances at the Market Theatre, the South African Ballet Theatre, and the University of Witwatersrand's School of the Arts.

Among Johannesburg’s several interesting and unusual museums is the AECI Dynamite Factory Museum, which houses exhibits detailing the history of explosives, especially those used by the region’s mining industry. The city’s Adler Museum of Medicine interprets South Africa’s medical history, and the Origins Centre Museum offers visitors exhibits detailing the history of human evolution. Other popular museums in Johannesburg include the Bernberg Fashion Museum; the South African National Museum of Military History; the Zoology Museum; and the James Hall Transport Museum, which is the largest transportation museum in Africa.

Many visitors who book cheap flights to Johannesburg come to the city to attend professional sporting events. The city is home to four professional football (soccer) teams that are members of South Africa’s Premier Soccer League, each of which has a large and loyal fan base. Games are held at one of four stadiums located in various parts of the city. These include the First National Bank Stadium (FNB), the Orlando Stadium, and the Dobsonville Stadium, all located in or near the Johannesburg settlement of Soweto; and Bidvest Stadium, located in the Johannesburg suburb of Braampark.