‘It’s a disaster’: Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille lashes out at ACSA after fuel glitch at OR Tambo

Minister of Tourism Patricia de Lille, has lashed out at Airports Company South Africa (Acsa) following refuelling problems at OR Tambo International Airport that caused flight delays on Monday. 

IOL reported earlier that Acsa has confirmed that the system is now fully operational after the glitch. 

"Operations are currently back to normal. We apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused. If you are still experiencing delays, please reach out directly to your airline for further assistance," said Acsa in a statement. 

However, De Lille said the damage has already been done, considering that it is peak season of travelling, and domestic and international travellers were inconvenienced. 

“I think this is a disaster, the impact and the knock-on effect on tourists, and also business and trade people. People miss connecting flights. Some people have been paying for the whole year, saving up money to go on a decent holiday. To be impacted like this, it shows that there is definitely poor maintenance at the airport,” De Lille said in an interview with broadcaster Newzroom Afrika. 

“There was no contingency plan in place. For the high peak season, the least you expect from the Airports Company is to do maintenance on all their fuel lines, on their planes and everything. I can understand the frustration of so many people that were stuck at OR Tambo International Airport yesterday (Monday).”

De Lille said she was also caught up in the “mess” and she had to sit in an airplane for more than an hour waiting for staircases and buses to come. 

“All the planes had to stand in a queue to wait for buses and staircases,” she added. 

In a statement released by the Department of Tourism, De Lille said the “chaos” experienced on Monday underscores the urgent need for Airports Company South Africa to thoroughly understand the root causes of the issues and address them decisively. 

“Reliable airport operations are essential not only for the smooth movement of passengers but also for safeguarding South Africa’s reputation as a premier tourist destination. In light of this, I will be engaging with the Minister of Transport to discuss these matters further to ensure no repeats of these incidents. We need to ensure that Acsa undertakes a full assessment of the events that led to yesterday’s disruptions and develops actionable solutions to prevent such occurrences in the future,” she said. 

The minister called on Acsa to ensure routine and timely maintenance of airport infrastructure, to ensure no disruptions to airport operations which has a dire impact on tourism and economic activity. 

“The tourism sector plays a vital role in driving economic growth and creating jobs. As such, ensuring the seamless operation of key infrastructure like OR Tambo is a shared priority. I urge Acsa to act swiftly and collaboratively, working with all stakeholders to restore confidence in our airport systems to ensure seamless travel for tourists and business travellers,” she said. 

In an interview with with eNCA on Monday, Acsa regional general manager, Jabulani Khambule, explained that the delays were caused by a breakdown at the fuel farm.

"The breakdown was due to a valve that brings fuel into the apron for fueling aircrafts...What happens is that when the shaft broke down, the valve couldn't open.

"Just for the record, this was not about not having enough fuel, it was just a mechanical breakdown which we eventually managed to sort out at the end. We are now back online and operating. We are just dealing with a backlog that has been caused by the delays," he said.

The latest developments come just days after South African Airways announced that the pilots' strike, called last week, had been suspended.

IOL