Systems back up at OR Tambo after weather-related flight delays

The Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS) said systems were back up at the OR Tambo International Airport on Monday following flight disruptions.

The busy airport faced flight delays on Sunday, amid a peak in travel as families returned home from the festive break.

While ATNS said operations were running as normal today, spokesperson for the state-owned company Mphilo Dlamini said teams would continue to monitor and evaluate the situation at OR Tambo.

“ATNS reiterates that safety remains its highest priority and continues to work closely with airlines, airport authorities, and aviation stakeholders to ensure the safe and efficient management of air traffic.”

After initially flagging the issue as temporary human resource constraints, Dlamini said the disruptions were weather-related.

“ATNS further clarifies that the flight diversions experienced yesterday afternoon were not caused by human resource constraints, but were the result of severe weather conditions, including thunderstorms, which temporarily affected safe aircraft operations within the OR Tambo International Airport airspace.”