Disruptions at OR Tambo Airport due to air traffic control system failure
ATNS spokesperson Percy Morokane said the system failure was affecting air traffic control (ATC) operations, specifically the flight plan management system.
'As a result, operational disruptions are occurring and departure delays are expected. ATNS is working closely with all relevant stakeholders to manage the situation and minimise the impact on passengers and airline operations,' he said.
He reassured the public and aviation partners that all safety protocols were being strictly followed to ensure the safe management of air traffic and swift restoration of the systems.
'ATNS apologises for any inconvenience caused and remains committed to providing all stakeholders with timely updates as the situation develops.'
TimesLIVE
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Citizen
39 minutes ago
- The Citizen
R70 000 to repair potholes
Wynand de Villiers Wynand de Villiers of De Villiers National Cycling, who has been involved in cycling for 24 years and worked side by side with the previous Cycling South Africa president Raoul de Villiers, said they have already had to pay R70 000 to service providers to repair potholes so that races can take place. 'It cannot be window-dressed. It is becoming increasingly difficult to host road races.' Besides the poor condition of the country's roads, he said Covid-19 has also had a major impact, with sponsors not returning to the sport. 'Without sponsors and numbers, it is difficult.' Entries at most major races, such as the Montecasino and Emperors, have dropped. Some of the races he is aware of that have also been cancelled include the Carnival City and the Race for Victory. De Villiers said cycling is his passion, and he will continue to host races as long as he can and that the entries for this year's Montecasino on October 12 look good. Danie Botha – president, Mpumalanga Cycling National road cycling has a very big challenge, and in my opinion, the period it takes for approval from authorities and the condition of roads that change overnight means that many of the big races this year have to be cancelled or postponed. The biggest challenge we have is to find roads that will allow us to ride safely. 'With the passing of Oom Hendrik and the incredible knowledge he had, there was no one else who wanted to take over the races, and I think the period to get everyone's approval will not just happen overnight. 'I am currently looking at options to give road cycling a strong foundation again in Mpumalanga, but one's starting point is always the safety of riders and then the rest. ' I hope to get a road cycling race in place in 2026 that will attract people and also many of our riders who ride abroad, the right month just needs to be chosen. 'Eastern Transvaal used to be the mecca of road cycling, but with the condition of the roads, the grand tours aren't going to happen. I always look at the trends happening internationally, and I believe that cycling as a whole is undergoing a metamorphosis.' Also read: Save the rhino… but what about the road cyclist? Colin Hoffman – veteran cycling journalist Road cycling is certainly dying out. The general condition of the roads, and the extremely high cost of hosting races these days play a big role in this. Hosting the Cape Cycling Tour already costs in the region of R1m just to keep the traffic arrangements running smoothly. Another factor is the high entry fees. The absolute incompetence of Cycling South Africa also has a lot to do with it. It's a bunch of people who sit at the office all day and don't do much. Cyclists themselves are also to blame. Most are true prima donnas, and there is never a shortage of opinions. Everyone always has solutions to 'fix' things, but as soon as you ask them for help, they disappear like mist before the sun. The future of cycling definitely lies in mountain biking and gravel racing, and to a lesser extent, criteriums like the former Il Campione or the Zoo Lake Kermesse. Gravel racing is just as good as our road racing, with all the 'potholes'. However, these disciplines will never be able to develop tough road men and women. My biggest dismay is that track cycling is also at its end. The Velodrome in Bellville seems to me doomed. And if this one falls (and it will), it is the end of track cycling in the country. The rest of the tracks are in a terrible condition, and of the 32 tracks we had in 1989, only seven remain. And still, FSA fails to do anything. Jaap Beyers – Chairman of the Middelburg Cycling Club The safety of our roads plays the biggest role. It has also become attractive with the wave of MTB stage events, with the bonus of exploring nature with friends that road cycling can no longer compete with. As students, we organised big road cycling tours, but the hassle of applying to the various road agencies and authorities and the cost of road events today is the final 'nail in the coffin'. I was a road cyclist for years and have organised many road as well as mountain bike events over the past 35 years, but will not organise road cycling events again… due to the above reasons. Cycling SA also plays a role… but I don't want to stick my head in that beehive.
The Herald
10 hours ago
- The Herald
South Africa's transport system still unequal, UCT study finds
"Black women suffer significantly more from crime during their travels than women from other population groups. Their travel times are also significantly longer, worsening the negative crime effect and transport injustice," the study found. The study also notes that while the gender pay gap in South Africa remains at 14%, the most disadvantaged group is black women. They are more likely to travel longer distances, use unsafe modes of transport and face higher exposure to crime and gender-based violence. Work and education are the most common reasons for travel, but black South Africans make more education-related trips than work trips, a trend not seen among other population groups. "This trend probably reflects the country's unemployment rate." More than 84% of unemployed people are black and youth unemployment remains above 50%. Women's travel patterns also reveal a high percentage of education-related trips, potentially due to caregiving responsibilities, though many children in South Africa walk to school alone from a young age. Despite some improvements in commuter satisfaction with public transport safety, more than one-third of respondents remain dissatisfied with the safety of minibus taxis. The study notes "road safety risk remains high in South Africa", with more than 12,500 deaths annually and a fatality rate of 20.85 per 100,000 population, far above global averages. Pedestrians make up 40% of these fatalities.
The Herald
a day ago
- The Herald
Passengers anxious as more flight delays expected
Flight delays experienced at OR Tambo International Airport on Friday due to air traffic control failure have triggered anxiety among passengers, who now feel compelled to readjust their travel schedules. Barusch Sewduth, a passenger who was stranded for about an hour on Friday, said he doesn't know what to expect any more. Sewduth was due to fly from Durban to Johannesburg when his SAA flight was delayed for about 40 minutes. The flight was then delayed for a further 20 minutes, and no reason was given at first, he told TimesLIVE. 'Once we got on board, the cabin crew announced that the delay was due to the movement of VIPs at OR Tambo, so that delayed the aircraft from Johannesburg to Durban,' he said. He said this was an inconvenience as he had to constantly update his family, who were coming to pick him up, that the flight was delayed. 'When we landed in Johannesburg, we had to wait another 30 minutes for the baggage as well,' he said. Given the lack of communication, Sewduth said the airlines should be more proactive and send out a notification to update passengers on what is happening. 'None of that was given, they just said that the flight was delayed. 'I'm actually quite worried because I am in Abu Dhabi and I'm flying back tomorrow morning, so that's also a stress at the back of my mind because I think I need to get to the airport much earlier than what I would normally do,' he said as he anticipates more delays. On Friday, Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS) announced disruptions of operations at OR Tambo International Airport due to a system failure. ATNS spokesperson Percy Morokane said system failure was affecting air traffic control (ATC) operations — specifically the flight plan management system. 'As a result, operational disruptions are occurring, and departure delays are expected. ATNS is working closely with all relevant stakeholders to manage the situation and minimise the impact on passengers and airline operations,' he said. Morokane had at the time reassured the public and aviation partners that all safety protocols were being strictly followed to ensure the safe management of air traffic and the swift restoration of the affected systems. 'ATNS apologises for any inconvenience caused and remains committed to providing all stakeholders with timely updates as the situation develops.' he said. TimesLIVE
