Flying from OR Tambo? – Passengers urged to allow extra time due to security updates

OR Tambo

Cape Town – Passengers at OR Tambo International Airport experienced significant delays on Tuesday due to unspecified “operational issues”, leading to long queues at security checkpoints.

Airports Company South Africa (Acsa) said teams had been working to resolve the situation and expected normal operations to resume by Wednesday.

OR Tambo International took to X to inform passengers about the ongoing delays.

“Please be advised that O.R. Tambo International Airport is currently experiencing longer-than-usual queues at security checkpoints. We encourage all passengers to proceed to the security screening areas immediately after check-in to avoid delays.

“Our teams are working diligently to ensure a smooth and safe experience for everyone,” the airport said.

Acsa emphasised that the disruption was limited to OR Tambo and recommended arriving two hours early for domestic flights and three hours for international ones.

“We are pleased to report a steady improvement in passenger flow and queue management. Domestic operations have largely stabilised, while an incoming shift has been deployed to bolster capacity and assist international travellers. We anticipate that full operational capacity will be restored by tomorrow morning.

“Travellers are still advised to continue arriving at the airport at least two hours before departure for domestic and three hours for international flights, to allow adequate time for processing. We would like to reassure the public that this disruption is isolated to O.R. Tambo International Airport. All other airports in the ACSA network are operating as normal.”

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