Departure delays for flights leaving King Shaka and O.R. Tambo International Airports are due to Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS) constraints.
This is according to FlySafair in response to complaints from passengers who experienced lengthy delays at both airports on Monday and Tuesday this week.
According to passengers on Monday, there were departure delays of up to two hours, and on Tuesday, there was a 40-minute delay.
“There’s definitely something wrong with the controls. Right now, we’ve waited 40 minutes after boarding; we haven’t moved, and we are number eight in the queue, they say,” said one passenger.
When approached for comment, the Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) advised that queries related to flights and passengers should be addressed by the airlines concerned.
FlySafair confirmed that the airline is aware of some delays affecting departures from King Shaka International Airport and O.R. Tambo on Monday and Tuesday.
“These delays are due to ATNS (Air Traffic and Navigation Services) constraints and relate to wider air traffic flow management measures (CTOTs) implemented by Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS) to regulate congestion and ensure safe operations at the airports,” said FlySafair.
The airline stated that these delays are not isolated to FlySafair and are impacting all airlines.
“Given our high flight frequency, it’s understandable that we may be hearing more from our customers, but please be assured we’re working closely with ATNS and our partners to minimise disruption and keep our passengers informed,” said FlySafair.
According to reports in August, ATNS reported a critical Air Traffic Control (ATC) systems failure that resulted in delays and changes to flight schedules.
The report stated that flight management operations at O.R. Tambo International Airport were impacted.
At the time of the report, ACSA advised passengers to contact their airlines directly for the latest updates on flight status and download the ACSA mobile app for real-time notifications and flight information.
ATNS has been approached for comment.
This is a developing story.
