Refueling Difficulties at OR Tambo Airport Disrupt 177 Flights; Operations Return to Normal

Johannesburg – The Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) has disclosed that a malfunctioning valve, which hindered aircraft refueling at OR Tambo International Airport, resulted in disruptions affecting 177 flights and 22,073 passengers.

In a statement, ACSA expressed its “unreserved apologies to all stakeholders and the public” for the flight interruptions at OR Tambo Airport on Monday, (9 December 2024).

The disruptions occurred between 09:05 and 12:35, with refueling resuming at 13:01 after the valve was manually opened.

RELATED: OR Tambo Airport: Faulty Valve Causes Refueling Problems, Flights Grounded – The Bulrushes

The technical issues related to refueling have since been resolved and operations have returned to normal.

RELATED: OR Tambo Airport: ACSA Says Fuel Challenges That Grounded Flights Resolved – The Bulrushes

“This disruption directly affected around 177 flights and 22,073 passengers during the time period of 09:05 to 13:01 when flights were resumed,” ACSA stated.

“The ripple effect of this four-hour delay further impacted numerous flights and passengers between 13:00 and 23:00 as the backlog was addressed.

“Overall, the impact on the ACSA network comprised 483 flights and 49,429 passengers, including 31 cancellations for the day.

“This happened amid an estimated total of 1,500 flights and 110,000 passengers that are typically processed through ACSA’s network on a daily basis.”

According to ACSA, approximately one-third of the flights were affected, impacting around half of the daily passenger traffic.

“The disruption resulted from a drive shaft that fractured, as illustrated in the image below,” the statement revealed.

Diving deeper, ACSA explained that the damaged drive shaft led to a valve failure, which impeded the transfer of jet fuel from the storage tank.

The repairs were successfully completed on Monday at 13:00, reinstating the system to its normal operating capacity.

“An emergency valve replacement is being coordinated to ensure this component’s reliability in the future,” the statement mentioned.

“The OR Tambo International Airport fuel infrastructure is undergoing an extensive approved capital program that includes refurbishment and capacity-related projects, which are at various stages of progress.

“The total estimated value of these projects is R1.5 billion.”

ACSA mentioned that since the last incident two years ago involving a main fuel valve failure, the valve was replaced and operations resumed.

“The lessons learned from this incident indicated that a comprehensive overhaul of the entire system was essential,” the statement remarked.

“This process took a considerable amount of time, adhering to regulatory requirements, including obtaining Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) approval.”

Additionally, ACSA stated that the bypass mechanism also required approval from the Approved Inspection Authority (AIA), “both of which extended the timeline.”

In mid-2024, the airport introduced a tank configuration modification enabling the accommodation of larger fuel volumes from the coastal pipeline.

ACSA shared that other ongoing projects will enhance reliability and create redundancy in the fuel system.

These projects include:

• A new 20-inch jet fuel line, which extends 1.8 km from the tank farm to the aprons, with construction set to begin in March 2025 and complete by March 2026.
• A bypass mechanism for added redundancy, currently in implementation and measuring approximately 9 meters in length, is expected to be completed by February 2025.

The ACSA Board will conduct a thorough investigation into this incident and produce a report detailing the root causes, along with appropriate corrective actions as the projects for new and replacement jet fuel lines are executed.

ACSA mentioned that a preliminary incident report is being finalized, pending laboratory analysis of the metal fragments by the Engineering Team, to determine the cause of the drive shaft failure.

This will serve as the foundation for a detailed investigation by the ACSA Board.

“I am pleased to announce that the refueling issues have been resolved, and the airport has been functioning normally since yesterday afternoon,” stated ACSA CEO Mpumi Mpofu.

“The operational backlog stemming from this incident has been effectively cleared, and flights are back on schedule.”

ACSA emphasized that media reports regarding a disaster unfolding at OR Tambo International Airport due to the refueling issue were exaggerated.

“We are prepared to welcome tourists, families, business people, and travelers to our beautiful country and facilitate connections,” ACSA stated.

“We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this situation has caused and thank you for your understanding and patience.”