Airports Company South Africa (Acsa) has apologised to passengers at Cape Town International Airport for longer-than-usual queues and delays after ongoing taxi-related unrest affected staffing levels across airport operations, resulting in extended passenger processing times and flight delays.

Frustration

Malcolm Koopman, acting regional manager of Cape Town International Airport, said: “We recognise the frustration and inconvenience this has caused, particularly on what is traditionally a busy Friday for domestic travel. Our teams are doing everything possible to improve processing times while ensuring the safety and well-being of everyone at the airport.”

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The impact has been most significant on domestic departures, especially at security screening points. As at 13:00 today, a total of 60 flight delays had been reported, comprising 44 domestic departures, 11 international departures, and 5 arrivals. The average delay was approximately 60 minutes, with no cancellations reported.

“To stabilise operations, the airport has prioritised resources for terminal operations and security screening, freed up apron stands for arriving aircraft, brought in additional personnel including from other airports, and introduced measures to improve passenger flow at security screening,” says Koopman.

Arrive early

Until further notice, passengers are advised to arrive four hours before international departures and three hours before domestic departures. Passengers are encouraged to plan their journeys in advance, monitor traffic updates, and check their flight status with their airline or via the Acsa app. Passengers who have missed their flights should contact their airline directly for assistance.

“The airport appreciates the patience and understanding of passengers as it continues working to improve the situation, and will provide further updates should there be any significant changes.”

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