OR Tambo avoids December flight crisis

Airlines at South Africa’s busiest airport can start refuelling their aircraft again after a faulty valve disrupted operations, causing some flight delays.

The fuel system at the O.R. Tambo International Airport east of Johannesburg is now fully operational, the facility said in a post on X. This comes after Airports Company South Africa flagged “refuelling challenges” earlier.

A broken valve, rather than a lack of fuel, caused the problem, Acsa Regional General Manager Jabulani Khambule said in an interview with broadcaster 702. Authorities grounded some aircraft because they couldn’t refuel, he said.

The incident came just two days after pilots at the state-owned carrier ended a strike, leading to renewed concerns about potential disruptions during the peak December travel season. 

The South African Airways Pilots Association on December 7 ended a three-day labour action that caused the state-owned carrier to cancel about 60% of its flights. SAA has since resumed its normal schedule.