Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) says it has resolved a technical issue with aircraft refueling that affected 41 flights at OR Tambo International Airport on December 28, and is implementing new measures to ensure the problem does not recur. .
There was a technical problem with the main supply valve that provides fuel to the apron, or the area where the aircraft is parked. This caused delays in domestic and international departures, leading to the use of tankers to refuel aircraft.
Speaking after a supervision visit by the Ministry of Transport, ACSA CEO Mpumi Mpofu said the problems started when a fuel hydrant tightness control test did not start at 03:00, but the problem was resolved. at 08:30, with a significant number of delays due to the ripple effect on flights throughout the rest of the day.
The emergency shutoff valve connecting the fuel pump to the hydrant failed to activate and remained closed, while manual operation mode was attempted, but was unsuccessful.
Maintenance personnel then took the valve apart and found that the main center bearing had seized, causing the problem, he said.
“That side effect literally took us almost a whole day to recover and get our flights back on schedule,” he said.
While ACSA did not have a problem with spare parts, it recognized the need to implement faster replacement, Mpofu said.
Other measures being implemented include additional tanker capacity and the installation of a bypass line to allow supply continuity in the event of another failure.
Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula said the incident had sown confusion among travellers, including uncertainty as to whether they would face similar problems upon return, and had been a “shock to the system”.
“We are confident that we are out of crisis mode… as we embark on the return from the holidays and head into the future,” he said.
Mpofu said December had been a good month for traffic, with a recovery of up to 80% since 2019, although more details will be provided in the coming weeks. ACSA did not yet have a figure on the financial cost of the interruption, he added.
Mpofu also reiterated that ACSA believed its fuel supply challenges were behind us, amid shortages earlier in the year due to KwaZulu-Natal floods that disrupted transportation. Among the measures that were implemented was a program to allow the transportation of jet fuel by road, in addition to deliveries by pipeline and rail.
