Delayed flights at King Shaka and O.R. Tambo airports due to air traffic control issues frustrate passengers

Departure delays for flights leaving King Shaka and O.R. Tambo International Airports are due to Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS) constraints.

This was according to FlySafair in response to complaints from passengers who experienced lengthy delays at both airports yesterday and on Monday.

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 was aware of some delays affecting departures from King Shaka International Airport and O.R. Tambo on both days.

“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 thee delays were 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.

Mphilo Dlamini, head of corporate affairs and communications at ATNS, attributed the flight delays and cancellations on Monday and Tuesday to two primary factors.

Firstly, he said a lack of instrument flight procedures at O.R. Tambo International Airport and Richards Bay Airport, combined with adverse weather conditions at coastal airports, contributed to departure constraints.

Secondly, severe weather at O.R. Tambo resulted in numerous runway changes, multiple go-arounds (a maneuver where a pilot discontinues an attempted landing to safely re-attempt the approach), and aircraft needing to avoid the weather, all of which compounded the situation significantly.

At King Shaka International Airport on Tuesday, Dlamini said there were challenges with the glide slope(the optimal downward angle of descent for an aircraft to land on a runway), which, fortunately, had no impact on flight disruptions.

“It is important to emphasise that under these circumstances, safety was never compromised,” he said. 

According to Dlamini, ATNS staff on duty worked hard to manage the dynamic conditions and did their best to maintain efficiency within the constraints. 

“While delays were inevitable, operations were conducted in a safe and controlled manner,” he said.

karen.singh@inl.co.za