Airports Company South Africa has confirmed that it encountered fuel supply issues on Wednesday morning, causing flight delays and left customers waiting for hours.
“OR Tambo International Airport was experiencing issues with fuel flow from the fuel storage facility to the main hydrant system, which impacted aircraft refueling,” said the statement following a flurry of complaints on social media.
One passenger stated that he waited more than two hours for a flight that was scheduled to depart just after 5 a.m.
“OR Tambo fuel services firm (ORTAFS) utilized a manual fuel browser method to fuel aircraft. On-site technicians have resolved the problem. Please note that there is no gasoline scarcity at the airport. This was a technological difficulty.”
Tourism minister Lindiwe Sisulu has contacted the Airlines Association of Southern Africa (Acsa) and has been informed that Acsa is diligently working to remedy the issue.
Sisulu stated, “On behalf of the administration, I would like to extend my sincerest apologies to all affected travelers for the inconvenience they have endured. I’ve been assured that there are systems in place to address the delays.”