SAnews.gov.za (Tshwane)

South Africa: OR Tambo Runway Temporarily Closed

13 November 2012

Pretoria — The Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) says the runway at OR Tambo has been temporarily closed after a tyre burst and a wheel caught fire on a chartered MD82 flight, operated by Global Aviation.

According to ACSA's Unathi Batyashe-Fillis, Manager: Communication and Brand Management at OR Tambo International Airport, onsite reports indicate that one of the tyres of the plane burst and a wheel caught fire, which resulted in the pilot aborting take-off.

Batyashe-Fillis said 120 passengers and seven crew members were on board the plane this morning around 7.15am en route to Lilongwe, Malawi.

ACSA's fire and rescue team was on the scene within minutes of the incident being reported.

"All passengers and crew disembarked safely from the plane. No injuries were reported. The runway has been temporarily closed to remove the aircraft and will be reopened shortly," said Batyashe-Fillis.

No major delays are foreseen at this stage.

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