Johannesburg and Addis Ababa Rank Among World’s 50 Best-Connected Airports

• Johannesburg’s OR Tambo ranks 40th globally in OAG’s 2026 Megahubs index.

• Addis Ababa climbed 10 places to 50th, with Ethiopian Airlines accounting for 94% of flights.

• Four African airports rank among the 10 best-connected hubs across Africa and the Middle East.

Johannesburg and Addis Ababa are the only African airports among the world’s 50 best-connected hubs in OAG’s 2026 Megahubs ranking, with the Ethiopian capital recording a notable 10-place rise from the previous edition.

The aviation data and analytics firm published its latest ranking on September 16. South Africa’s OR Tambo International Airport placed 40th worldwide, while Addis Ababa International Airport in Ethiopia ranked 50th.

OR Tambo retained its place among the world’s leading hubs despite a two-position decline from 38th in the previous ranking. Airlink accounts for 35% of flights to and from the airport, according to OAG.

Addis Ababa recorded the stronger improvement, up 10 places from the previous edition. Its connectivity, however, depends heavily on Ethiopian Airlines, which accounts for 94% of flights at the airport. That concentration reflects the national carrier’s central role in the development of Addis Ababa as a connecting hub between Africa and international markets.

Four African Airports Make the Regional Top 10

OAG’s regional ranking combines Africa and the Middle East, where four African airports appear among the 10 best-connected hubs.

OR Tambo ranks second in the region, followed by Addis Ababa in fifth place, Cairo in sixth and Casablanca in ninth.

National and regional airlines also account for a large share of traffic at several of these airports. EgyptAir represents 38% of flights to and from Cairo, while Royal Air Maroc accounts for 73% of activity at Casablanca. The figures show different levels of airline concentration across Africa’s major hubs, from 35% for Airlink at OR Tambo to 94% for Ethiopian Airlines in Addis Ababa.

Istanbul Takes the Global Lead

Istanbul Airport ranks first worldwide in the 2026 index, ahead of London Heathrow and Amsterdam. Kuala Lumpur takes fourth place, followed by Chicago O’Hare, Seoul Incheon, Frankfurt, Tokyo Haneda, Paris Charles de Gaulle and Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson. The latest ranking includes several changes from the previous edition. Istanbul and Heathrow swapped the top two positions, while Chicago O’Hare rose from seventh to fifth.

Frankfurt fell from fourth to seventh. Tokyo Haneda and Paris Charles de Gaulle each gained one position, while Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson dropped two. For African airports, the significance extends beyond their position in the global ranking. Addis Ababa’s 10-place rise shows how the growth of a dominant airline and a broader route network can strengthen an airport’s role as a connecting hub.

Heavy dependence on a single carrier can also leave an airport’s connectivity closely tied to that airline’s performance and strategic decisions. Infrastructure development, new routes and the ability to attract multiple carriers therefore remain important factors in the long-term development of Africa’s major hubs.

Henoc Dossa