- Cape Town International Airport and Johannesburg OR Tambo International Airport are the best in Africa, scoring 8.50 and 8.29, respectively.
- AirHelp score and ranking of airports are based on key comprehensive evaluation factors: on-time performance, customer opinion, and the availability of variety food and retail offerings.
Airports are among the most iconic infrastructure in any given nation. It gives the initial impression to travelers and foreigners regarding the performance and productivity within a country. International airports also take the place of border crossings, which means that passengers and their luggage must go through additional processing before they are let go.
AirHelp airport rankings place excellent African airports on the global map in 2024. The best airports in Africa are led by two prominent South African airports, Cape Town International Airport (CPT) and Johannesburg OR Tambo International Airport (JNB).
Both airports offer high standards of service delivery and efficiency, which is reflected in a comprehensive evaluation of various factors, including on-time performance, customer opinions, and the quality of food and shopping options.
The most important factor contributing to airport rankings, according to AirHelp, is on-time performance, accounting for 60% of the total score. The on-time performance measures the punctuality of flights at an airport, defined as flights that arrive or depart within 15 minutes of their scheduled times.
Another important evaluation factor is the customer opinion (20%). It represents the passenger’s feedback regarding their experience at the airport, based on customer service, wait times, accessibility, and cleanliness, both rated on a scale from “very good” to “very bad.”.
The variety and quality of food and of shopping options (20%) available at the airport also play a crucial role in the ranking. Tavellers rate their experience with food and retali offerings, similarly evaluated on a scale from “very good” to “very bad.” The ranking assessment factors determine the airport’s operational efficiency and quality that matter most to the traveller.
Cape Town International Airport is not only the best in Africa but also the 2nd most rated airport in the world, with an AirHelp score of 8.50. By achieving an on-time performance score of 8.6 and a customer opinion rating of 8.4, it challenges a dozen airports on the continent yet improves on what matters most to travellers.
Johannesburg OR Tambo International is ranked 2nd and 6th globally, with a score of 8.29. The airport is known for its operational efficiency, scoring 8.3 on customer rating, 8.4 on food and shops, and 8.2 on on-time performance.