Thousands of passengers using South Africa’s busiest airport experience flight delays on Wednesday as fuel supply shortages hit OR Tambo International Airport.
This left passengers waiting for hours for their flights.
Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) said the supply from the fuel storage facility to the main hydrant system was where the challenge lay.
ACSA said this had affected refuelling of aircraft. It Said technicians were on-site.
“OR Tambo Fuel Services Company used a manual system through fuel bowsers to fuel aircraft. Technicians are on-site and have resolved the issue. They are constantly monitoring the situation,” it said.
There were reports of a strike and fuel shortage at the busiest airport, which were shut down by ACSA and the Minister of Transport Fikile Mbalula.
“I have been in contact with ACSA Management and have been assured there is no fuel shortage at OR Tambo Airport but a technical issue at the storage which has been resolved,” said Mbalula on Twitter.
Although ACSA confirmed that its technicians had resolved the fuel line challenges, angry passengers said that the flight delays were still continuing.
The flight delays come during the peak of the busiest holiday season that airports have seen since the pandemic.
It is understood that both domestic and international flights at OR Tambo Airport have been grounded since earlier on Wednesday morning.
Affected airline FlySafair was the first airline to notify passengers that flights to OR Tambo would be delayed.
Airport management later confirmed that the fuel storage facility was facing challenges pumping fuel to the main hydrant system.
The impaired fuel system resulted in delays, starting with the airports fuel browsers that manally transport fuel to the aircraft.
Despite the problem being resolved, customers have received no time frame when their flights will be restored.
Source: IOL, Eyewitness News, The Citizen, Times Live, image from Twitter: @RantsSouth