Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport has retained its place among the world’s 50 most connected international airports, ranking 40th in OAG’s 2026 Megahubs Index. Addis Ababa Bole International Airport ranked 50th.
Johannesburg dropped two places from its 2025 position, while Addis Ababa climbed 10 places to enter the Top 50. In the Middle East and Africa regional ranking, JNB was placed second behind Dubai, with Addis Ababa in fifth.
With 8 227 possible connections to 81 destinations, Airlink was the largest connecting carrier at JNB accounting for 35% of connections.
Istanbul Airport took the top position globally, moving up from second place in 2025. London Heathrow dropped to second, followed by Amsterdam Schiphol in third.
OAG said this year’s rankings were affected by the disruption in the Middle East, with scheduled capacity for the region 5,7% below August 2025. As a result, there were changes to the positions of Middle Eastern airports such as Dubai and Doha, and for some other airports with previously high levels of Middle East connectivity.
