(Posted 22nd August 2026)
Courtesy of Mr. Alex Koech and AeroTrail Limited
Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport (JNB/FAOR) remained Africa’s third-busiest airport by scheduled airline capacity in July 2026, recording approximately 2.27 million available seats during the month.
July capacity at a glance:
Domestic: 50% | 1.14 million seats
Intra-African: 28% | 638,000 seats
Intercontinental: 22% | 494,000 seats
6 July recorded the airport’s highest daily capacity so far this year, with approximately 85,072 available seats.
The Johannesburg–Cape Town (CPT) corridor was by far the largest airport pair, accounting for approximately 441,425 seats, or nearly 19% of JNB’s total July capacity. Durban (DUR) followed with 352,588 seats. Beyond the domestic market, Dubai (DXB) was JNB’s leading intercontinental airport pair with approximately 109,441 seats, while Harare (HRE) led the intra-African international market with 81,658 seats.
On the carrier side, South_Africa’s homegrown FlySafair led capacity at JNB, accounting for approximately 29% of all available seats. Airlink followed with 18.5%, while South African Airways (SAA) contributed 15.5%.
Aircraft capacity was relatively balanced between the two major OEMs, with Boeing accounting for 41% of available seats and Airbus Aircraft 37%. Embraer contributed approximately 20%, reflecting the significant role of regional aircraft in JNB’s network.
Workhorse of the month: FlySafair’s Boeing 737-800, ZS-ZWW, which contributed approximately 30,996 available seats during July.
JNB’s July numbers highlight the depth of South Africa’s domestic market, while also underscoring Johannesburg’s role as one of the continent’s key gateways to both Africa and the wider world.
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