OR Tambo Airport back to business after weekend delays

Travellers flying through Johannesburg’s busiest airport can breathe easier — air traffic at O.R. Tambo International Airport has returned to normal after disruptions on Sunday, January 4.

Adem Percem / Pexels

According to reports by IOL, the Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS) confirmed that operations were running to schedule again by Monday morning, with flights taking off and landing as planned across the airport.

The weekend delays came at a particularly busy time, as many families were returning home after the festive season. Initial statements from ATNS suggested temporary human resource constraints at the airport’s air traffic control centre contributed to flight delays and altered schedules. However, in its follow-up update, ATNS clarified that severe weather — including thunderstorms — was the main factor disrupting aircraft movements and necessitating flight diversions.

ATNS’s head of corporate affairs, Mphilo Dlamini, emphasised that safety remains the top priority and that air traffic services will continue to be closely monitored in collaboration with airlines and airport authorities.

Some travellers experienced multi-hour delays, and several airlines updated passengers on social media while the situation was being resolved. Despite the inconvenience, operations were stabilised quickly and service levels had returned to normal by the start of the new travel week.

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