Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS) has come under fire over its explanation for the extended delays to Sunday’s flights at OR Tambo International Airport. The disruptions caused a ripple effect across airport operations, resulting in 69 delayed flights with an average waiting time of 74 minutes during one of the busiest travel weekends of the year. Confusion and frustration spread through South Africa’s busiest airport as holidaymakers returning from their December vacations faced long delays.
ATNS initially blamed staff shortages, a reason that drew sharp criticism. “The concept of a flight that was supposed to leave at three leaving at six. Whole time we’re in the aircraft,” one user wrote on X, tagging the airline and urging them to provide answers.
After initially attributing the delays to staff shortages, ATNS revised its statement on Monday, saying inclement weather had also contributed to the disruption. On Sunday afternoon, ATNS said the delays were “primarily due to temporary human resource constraints at the Air Traffic Control station.” ATNS spokesperson Mphilo Dlamini explained that flights had to be delayed to ensure each take-off was attended by the necessary personnel. He said the staff shortage was not due to poor allocation but resulted from employees calling in sick or attending to family emergencies.
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He added that staff on leave were called in, restoring normal operations. However, on Monday, ATNS clarified that severe weather, including thunderstorms, had also played a role.In an interview with Newzroom Afrika, Dlamini said ATNS was not shifting the blame, acknowledging staff shortages while noting that adverse weather exacerbated the issues. Airlink spokesperson Linden Birns criticised ATNS, saying the delays stemmed from a failure to ensure sufficient staffing to manage the normal scheduled traffic at OR Tambo on Sunday.
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