TR A NS P O R T
Moving a city
T
he city is home to O.R. Tambo International Airport (ORTIA) – the busiest airport in Africa. It services the entire African continent and links to major cities across the globe. Similarly, many of the world’s leading airlines fly into and out of ORTIA. ORTIA has an average of 8.6 million international, 0.9 million regional and 9.5 million domestic arrivals and departures per year, giving a total of 19 million annual arrivals and departures. The airport was awarded fourth place in the Best Airport ACI-ASQ Awards for Middle East and Africa. During busy periods, outbound flights use the western runway for take-off, while inbound flights use the eastern runway for landing. Wind factors may cause numerous variations, but on most days, flights will take off to the north and land from the south. There are two parallel north-south runways and a disused cross runway. The western runway, 03L/21R, is over 4 400 m long, making it one of the world’s
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EKURHULENI 2016
Ekurhuleni has a network of roads, airports and rail lines that rivals those in Europe and America – worldclass transport infrastructure longest international airport runways. Fully laden aircraft supporting a well-established require a far greater length industrial and commercial of runway to achieve takeoff velocity at this altitude. complex. Ekurhuleni can, in Both runways are equipped fact, be regarded as the with instrument landing systems (ILS). Furthermore, all runways transportation hub of are equipped with approach the country. lighting systems (ALS) with sequenced flashers, and touchdown zone (TDZ) lighting. Runway 03R/21L is 3 400 m long and is also equipped at both ends with ILS, ALS with sequenced flashers, and TDZ lighting. The airport used to have a third runway, but this was closed due to the danger it posed. It is now a taxiway. ORTIA has been identified as the nucleus for the development of the Aerotropolis, which is one of the flagship projects of the municipality to stimulate growth and job creation.
ROAD AND RAIL HUB South Africa’s largest railway hub is in Germiston, Ekurhuleni, and links the city
to all the major population centres and ports in Southern African. A number of South Africa’s modern freeways – namely the N3, N12, N17, R21, R24 and others – connect Ekurhuleni to other cities and provinces. The Maputo Corridor Development, South Africa’s most advanced spatial development initiative, connects Ekurhuleni with the capital of Mozambique and the largest South African Indian Ocean port, Durban. Direct rail, road and air links already connect Ekurhuleni to South Africa’s busiest port.