Cape Town International Airport returns to normal operations following fire incident
Thousands of passengers were stranded inside the terminals at Cape Town International Airport after a fire.
Image: Ayanda Ndamane/ Independent Newspapers
Cape Town International Airport (CTIA) confirms that operations are returning to normal following a fire in the International Inner Lane (Northern Service Yard) on Tuesday.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) spokesperson Ofentse Dijoe explained that the fire was swiftly extinguished with no injuries reported. ACSA detailed that, in line with established safety protocols, power across the terminal was temporarily isolated to allow for thorough safety assessments. It also reported that while power and most systems have been restored, some manual processing remains in place.
Current Operational Status
- Airlines: Most check-in systems are fully operational. Lift Airlines continues to process passengers manually.
- International arrivals: The Border Management Authority (BMA) and Customs are using manual systems. Expect extended wait times.
- International departures: International departures resumed yesterday evening, and all aircraft that landed during the incident were processed. A limited number of international flights were diverted during the disruption.
- Baggage: Processing is currently manual; delays in delivery are expected.
- Domestic travel: Operations have returned to normal.
Dijoe said key changes to the airport layout have been put in place. The international arrivals corridor remains closed, and meeters-and-greeters are urged to follow signage to the temporary area on the ground floor.
Passengers who were unable to collect their luggage yesterday may retrieve their bags at the northern side of the temporary meeters-and-greeters entrance.
“We would like to thank our passengers, airline partners, and stakeholders for their patience. We extend our sincere thanks to the emergency response teams for their swift and professional action,” Dijoe said.
The fire comes just days after CTIA announced its R10.143 billion phased infrastructure upgrade, part of Airports Company South Africa’s (ACSA) R21.7 billion national investment. This aims to boost capacity, operations, and economic growth.
The flagship project is a new R6.39 billion, realigned 3,500m main runway (contractor planned for Dec 2026). This Code F compliant runway, with rapid exit taxiways, will improve air traffic flow, efficiency, and accommodate next-generation aircraft.
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