Johannesburg – The Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) has reported that a faulty valve, which disrupted aircraft refueling operations at OR Tambo International Airport, led to interruptions impacting 177 flights and affecting 22,073 passengers.
In a public statement, ACSA extended its “unreserved apologies to all stakeholders and the public” regarding the flight disruptions that occurred at OR Tambo Airport on Monday, (9 December 2024).
The issues arose between 09:05 and 12:35, with refueling services resuming at 13:01 after the valve was manually operated.
RELATED: OR Tambo Airport: Faulty Valve Causes Refueling Problems, Flights Grounded – The Bulrushes
The technical problems related to refueling have now been addressed, and operations have returned to normal.
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“This disruption directly impacted approximately 177 flights and 22,073 passengers between 09:05 and 13:01, when flights were resumed,” ACSA explained.
“The ripple effect of this four-hour delay further influenced numerous flights and passengers between 13:00 and 23:00 as the backlog was addressed.
“Overall, the impact on the ACSA network included 483 flights and 49,429 passengers, along with 31 cancellations for the day.
“This incident occurred amidst an estimated total of 1,500 flights and 110,000 passengers typically processed through ACSA’s network daily.”
According to ACSA, about one-third of the flights were affected, which impacted nearly half of the daily passenger volume.
“The disruption occurred due to a fractured drive shaft, as depicted in the image below,” the statement indicated.
Further analysis from ACSA revealed that the damaged drive shaft resulted in a valve failure, which obstructed the transfer of jet fuel from the storage tank.
The repairs were successfully completed on Monday at 13:00, restoring the system to its normal operating capacity.
“An emergency valve replacement is currently being arranged to ensure the reliability of this component moving forward,” the statement added.
“The fuel infrastructure at OR Tambo International Airport is undergoing a significant approved capital program that includes renovation and capacity-related projects, which are at various stages of completion.
“The total estimated value of these undertakings is R1.5 billion.”
ACSA noted that since the last incident two years ago involving a main fuel valve failure, the valve was replaced, and operations resumed smoothly.
“The lessons learned from this occurrence highlighted the need for a comprehensive overhaul of the entire system,” the statement noted.
“This process took a significant amount of time, complying with regulatory requirements, such as obtaining Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) approval.”
Moreover, ACSA stated that the bypass mechanism also necessitated approval from the Approved Inspection Authority (AIA), “both of which prolonged the timeline.”
In mid-2024, the airport implemented a tank configuration modification to facilitate larger fuel volumes from the coastal pipeline.
ACSA shared that other ongoing projects will enhance system reliability and provide redundancy in the fuel infrastructure.
These initiatives include:
- A new 20-inch jet fuel pipeline, extending 1.8 km from the tank farm to the aprons, with construction scheduled to begin in March 2025 and concluding by March 2026.
- A bypass mechanism for increased redundancy, currently under implementation and measuring roughly 9 meters in length, expected to be completed by February 2025.
The ACSA Board will undertake a detailed investigation into this incident and prepare a report outlining the root causes, along with suitable corrective measures as new and replacement jet fuel line projects are carried out.
ACSA stated that a preliminary incident report is being finalized, pending laboratory analysis of the metal fragments by the Engineering Team to ascertain the drive shaft failure’s cause.
This will form the basis for a thorough investigation by the ACSA Board.
“I am pleased to report that the refueling issues have been resolved, and operations at the airport have returned to normal since yesterday afternoon,” remarked ACSA CEO Mpumi Mpofu.
“The operational backlog resulting from this incident has been successfully managed, and flights are back on schedule.”
ACSA emphasized that media reports suggesting a disaster at OR Tambo International Airport due to the refueling issue were overstated.
“We are ready to welcome tourists, families, business travelers, and visitors to our beautiful country, facilitating connections,” ACSA affirmed.
“We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused by this situation and appreciate your understanding and patience.”
