In short:
- First work out whether the key is truly lost, locked inside the car, or with someone else (a valet, a rental company, a shuttle service).
- A spare key at home is usually the simplest answer. Someone bringing it out is often quicker and cheaper than any other option.
- Note exactly where the car is: the parkade (P1, P2, P3 and so on), the level and the bay. The airport's parking maps list the parkades by terminal.
- Have proof of ownership ready: the registration certificate or a clear photo of it, plus your ID or driver's licence.
- Talk to the parking office before arranging any work on a car inside an airport parkade. Their rules apply, not ours.
First, where is the key really?
"I've lost my car keys" at an airport covers several different situations, and each has a different fix. Before phoning anyone, work through this:
Retrace your steps before assuming the worst. Check every pocket and bag, the check-in counter, the trolley you used, and the shuttle or taxi that dropped you. Phone the airline if you think the keys went into checked luggage or were left on the aircraft, and ask at the airport's information desk.
The spare key at home
If there's a spare at your house, that's usually the answer. A family member, neighbour or friend can bring it to you, or you can get yourself home and come back for the car. It's worth doing even at an inconvenient hour, because a spare costs nothing and a new key for a modern car is a much bigger job.
If you live close by, for example in Bonaero Park, which lies directly next to the airport, a short trip to fetch the spare may be all it takes. If you're arriving from a trip and know the key is gone, ask someone to bring the spare to meet you before you land.
No spare at all? After this is sorted, get a second key set up for the car. Losing your only key is what turns a nuisance into an expensive day.
Know exactly where the car is parked
OR Tambo has several parking areas, and it's easy to forget which one you used after a week away. The airport's own parking maps list them by terminal:
| Area | Near | Listed use |
|---|---|---|
| P1 (basement) | International, Terminal A | Short stay |
| P2 (South) | Domestic, Terminal B | Short stay; premium/XXL parking; valet parking on level 4; car rentals and returns on level 1 |
| P3 (North) | Domestic, Terminal B | Short stay; pre-booked parking in the lower basement |
| P7 (open parking) | The piazza | Pick-up and drop-off |
Write down the parkade, level, row or bay number, and take a photo of the car with a sign or pillar number in the background. Anyone helping you, including a locksmith, will need that detail to find the vehicle. Check the airport's current maps before you rely on this table, as layouts and uses can change.
Talk to the parking office first
An airport parkade isn't a public street. Before anyone starts work on a car parked there, speak to the parking office or management on site and ask:
- Whether an outside contractor may work on a vehicle in the parkade, and what they need to allow it.
- What proof they want that the car is yours before it leaves.
- What happens about your ticket, if that's lost too. The airport's parking maps list a lost-ticket penalty for the public parking areas, on top of the normal charges.
- Where the car can be worked on safely, away from moving traffic.
We have no arrangement with the airport or its parking operators, so their conditions decide what's possible. Asking first avoids a wasted trip.
If you used valet parking, pre-booked parking or an off-site parking company that took your keys, phone them before anyone else: they may be holding the key. For a hire car, the rental company decides who may work on its vehicle, so contact them rather than calling a locksmith yourself.
Proof that the car is yours
We ask for proof of ownership before opening a car or helping with a key. It's what stops someone else driving off in your car, and the parking office may ask for its own proof as well. Have these ready, on paper or as clear photos on your phone:
- The vehicle's registration certificate, which the owner receives when the car is registered.
- Your ID or driver's licence, with a name that matches.
- For a company car, a letter or message from the company confirming you may use it, plus the fleet contact's number.
- The car's make, model, year and registration number.
If the registration certificate is in a drawer at home, ask whoever is bringing the spare to photograph it as well.
Why a modern car key is more than metal
Most modern cars have an immobiliser. A chip in the key sends a code to the car, and the engine won't start unless the car recognises that code. Some keys are smart keys that unlock and start the car without leaving your pocket, and many of these hide an emergency blade inside the fob.
This is why there's a big difference between the situations in the chart above. Opening a car with the key locked inside is a lockout. Replacing every lost key means providing a new key and setting it up so the car accepts it, and what's possible depends on the vehicle. Tell us the make, model and year on the phone and we'll say whether we can help with that car before anyone drives out. Our car keys and car lockouts page has more on this.
We don't cut or copy keys, so we can't produce a spare from the one you still have. If you've kept one key, the sensible step is to go home with it and arrange a second key afterwards.
What to send us when you phone
- Where the car is: parkade, level and bay, or the street and nearest landmark if it's off the airport.
- Make, model and year, and whether it's a normal key, a flip key or a keyless smart key.
- Whether the key is locked inside, lost, or broken.
- What the parking office said about contractors working in the parkade.
- Photos of your proof of ownership.
The R250 call-out brings a technician to you, and the work is quoted on site before anything starts. Nothing happens until you agree, and you can pay by EFT, cash or card. Our guide to what a mobile locksmith costs in Kempton Park explains the quote. If the keys were stolen along with a bag that showed your home address, read securing your home after a break-in too, and think about the locks at home. For our other services, see the Kempton Park mobile locksmith homepage.
Questions
Can you get into the airport parkade to open my car?
That's the parking operator's decision, not ours. We have no special access or arrangement at the airport. Ask the parking office what they allow and what they need from you, then let us know.
My spare is at home or with family. Is it worth waiting for it?
Usually, yes. A spare key brought to you costs nothing, while a new key for a modern car has to be supplied and set up for that vehicle. If you live close to the airport, in Rhodesfield for example, going home and fetching the spare in the morning is often the most sensible choice.
Can you make me a spare from the key I still have?
No. We don't copy keys. Use the key you have to get the car home, then arrange a second key for that vehicle afterwards.
Need a locksmith to look at it?
If this hasn't solved the problem, our car keys & lockouts service covers it. We're a mobile locksmith in Kempton Park, so we come to your door. Areas where this comes up often include Bonaero Park, Rhodesfield.
Sources and further reading
- Airports Company South Africa: O.R. Tambo International Airport parking maps — Lists P1 short stay near Terminal A; P2 (South) and P3 (North) near Terminal B, with valet, car rental and pre-booked parking levels; P7 pick-up and drop-off; and a lost-ticket penalty in the public parking areas.
- South African Government: Register a motor vehicle — Registering a vehicle results in a registration certificate; a licence disc follows licensing.
- Immobiliser, Wikipedia — The engine won't start unless the correct transponder or smart key is present and its code is accepted.
- Bonaero Park, Wikipedia — Bonaero Park lies directly next to OR Tambo International Airport.
- Rhodesfield, Wikipedia — Rhodesfield has a Gautrain station close to the OR Tambo International Airport station.
- TimesLIVE Motoring: What to do if you damage or lose your car key — Without a spare, a replacement modern key can keep you off the road while it is ordered and coded; losing all keys is the costliest case.