South African airport guides for smarter flight searches.
Choose the correct airport code, compare route availability and include the ground journey in the real trip cost.
Reviewed and expanded July 2026
Written and reviewed by Kyle Govender, founder and editor · Johannesburg
Live fare search
Compare flights from the right airport.
Select the exact airport code, route and dates before comparing current airline options.
Skip the form. Open any of these routes with the search already filled in.
Opens Travelstart with the route and a date already loaded. Change the date there if it doesn’t suit — nothing is booked until you confirm on Travelstart.
Major airport guides
Choose the airport before you chase the fare.
Airport code directory
Codes used across SAflightdeals route pages.
| Code | Airport / city | Relevant route hub |
|---|---|---|
| JNB | O.R. Tambo International — Johannesburg | Flights from Johannesburg → |
| HLA | Lanseria International — Johannesburg region | Lanseria guide → |
| CPT | Cape Town International | Flights from Cape Town → |
| DUR | King Shaka International — Durban | Flights from Durban → |
| PLZ | Chief Dawid Stuurman International — Gqeberha | Example route → |
| GRJ | George Airport | Example route → |
| ELS | King Phalo Airport — East London | Example route → |
| BFN | Bram Fischer International — Bloemfontein | Example route → |
Airport FAQs
Airport choice is part of the fare.
Which airport should I use for Johannesburg?
O.R. Tambo offers the broadest airline and route choice. Lanseria can be more convenient for Sandton, Fourways, Pretoria and the West Rand, but its scheduled route network is smaller. Compare fare, ground travel and parking together.
How early should I arrive for a domestic flight?
Two hours is a sensible planning target at major airports, especially if checking a bag. The hard airline cutoff can be 30 to 45 minutes before departure, but security, traffic and queues happen before that cutoff.
Where can I check live airport departures?
Use the official airport or airline flight-status service. ACSA provides live information for its airports, while Lanseria publishes its own passenger information.
Does the airport code matter when I search?
Yes. Johannesburg has JNB for O.R. Tambo and HLA for Lanseria. Choosing the wrong code can send you to a different airport and change the available airlines.
Use the exact airport code
Compare the correct departure point.
Fare, parking, transfer time and route choice all count.
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