"It was a breakdown of crisis proportions." Airports Company SA's apology fails to land safely with either airline industry or travellers.

Listen to this article 8 min Listen to this article 8 min Airports Company South Africa issued a belated apology on Tuesday, 10 December 2024, for the recent "refuelling disruptions" at OR Tambo International Airport, which affected about 177 flights and 22,073 passengers between 9am and 1pm on Monday. The apology fell flat though as passengers remained dissatisfied, citing the company's poor communication as a significant contributor to their frustration.

The drive shaft that didn't

According to Acsa, the disruptions were caused by a drive shaft that sheared, preventing the pumping of jet fuel from storage tanks to the aprons -- which enables the refuelling of aircraft. The repair work was conducted in compliance with rigorous safety procedures, and the system was restored to normal operating levels by 1pm on the same day. But that translated to trucks refuelling planes one at a time, while airlines, luggage handlers and airport staff faced massive backlogs.

Airports Company South Africa, a state-owned enterprise which is the owner and operator of South African airports, admitted that the effects of the disruption went beyond the initial 177 flights and 22,073 passengers.

"The total impact on the company's network was 483 flights and 49,429 passengers...