To manage the high volumes of passengers expected at OR Tambo International Airport this festive season, holidaymakers are advised to arrive three hours before international flights and two hours before domestic flights, as they head to their various travel destinations.
The Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) issued a warning on Monday about longer queues at the passport control points at OR Tambo due to a failure in the border management system.
ACSA reported that the unresponsiveness of the Border Management Authority (BMA) biometric movement control system was causing these extended queues.
The incident affected on-time performance, which dropped to 62% on 16 December, before recovering to 85% the following day after interventions.
At a media briefing on Thursday, ACSA CEO Mpumi Mpofu suggested alternative arrangements for the festive season, such as allowing more time for international travellers to arrive at the airport.
Mpofu stated that the busiest day is generally the first Friday after schools close, which was on 13 December 2024. ACSA also expects Friday, 20 December, to be the busiest day of the entire peak season.
“And that would give us 20 886 international passengers coming through, and that's both departures and arrival. And 39 423 domestic travellers on 20 of December.”
The airport anticipates 696 000 international passengers and 262 000, on peak days, from today until Christmas Eve on 24 December.
The briefing was held at OR Tambo in Johannesburg and comes as more people are expected to travel in and out of the country this festive season.
The briefing focused on transparency, accountability, and the need for public cooperation.
Mpofu also emphasised the importance of the airport as a gateway to the world and its role in the economy, particularly during the festive season.
She also stressed the importance of facilitating passengers and the negative impact of disruptions on the economy.
“We take our passengers seriously, but the negative impact on the economy that comes with disruptions in the flow of passengers during peak season is a matter needing serious attention.
“OR Tambo International Airport now serves as a very important gateway during peak season, particularly, and plays an important role as one of our key international airports with three ports of entry.”
The CEO also discussed the preparation for the peak season starting in September, involving stakeholder engagement and plan submissions.
She stated that the recent incidents were unplanned and did not result from a lack of planning and expressed disappointment at these events.
“Our ecosystem works based on multiple stakeholders, and I think it’s important to indicate that that’s why, when we speak as ACSA, we do so after consultation with the rest of the stakeholders on our platform.”
She also stressed the importance of public awareness about parking arrangements and the availability of long-term parking with shuttles.
Jet fuel
Mpofu also addressed the incident related to jet fuel and the subsequent analysis of the dry shaft and discussed upgrading the jet fuel system by March 2025.
“Aviation is a highly safety-sensitive area where nothing can go wrong, and as such, we are also really disappointed in the events that have happened, because basically, [we] did not anticipate [them].”
BMA Commissioner, Dr Michael Masiapato, said 14 new systems and additional human resources have been deployed at the airport to enhance capacity.
“We had to make sure that we respond with speed, and we have been able to deploy all our key top ICT [information and communication technology] officials on the ground to make sure that the issue is effectively addressed, and we are then able to get back to normal as fast as possible,” he said.
Earlier this month, ACSA apologised to its stakeholders and the public for the flight disruptions that occurred at OR Tambo due to refuelling challenges. – SAnews.gov.za
