A second tyre incident at OR Tambo Airport in a week. Image: Unsplash
OR Tambo Airport: Delays and tyre-related incidents
OR Tambo International Airport experienced delays on 26 April due to single runway operations. There was also a tyre incident on Thursday.
A second tyre incident at OR Tambo Airport in a week. Image: Unsplash
On Friday 26 April, Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport was beset with delays.
According to Airports Company South Africa (ACSA), the delays were caused by an aircraft being stuck on the taxiway.
DELAYS AT OR TAMBO AIRPORT
For much of the morning on Friday 26 April, there was only one operating runway at OR Tambo Airport.
An obstructed taxiway meant airlines had to reschedule many flight departures for Friday 26 April. Single runway usage slows operations down.
TYRE INCIDENT AT OR TAMBO AIRPORT
Meanwhile on Thursday night, Air France flight AF 995 bound for Paris aborted take-off due to a warning light in the flight deck.
The warning apparently signalled an open baggage door on the aircraft.
AIR FRANCE FLIGHT
A passenger on this flight reported being informed that a warning light in the flight deck, illuminated just before take-off.
This notification signalled an open baggage door. However, there was tyre damage.
Passengers stayed on the aircraft while maintenance staff tried to replace the damaged tyres so the plane could be towed back to the terminal.
Later, passengers allegedly deplaned and were returned to the terminal building by bus.
TYRE DAMAGE INCIDENTS
This is the second tyre damage incident affecting aircraft operating flights at OR Tambo in under a week.
On Sunday 21 April, a FlySafair flight to Cape Town returned to OR Tambo Airport after sustaining tyre damage during take-off.
Ground staff in Johannesburg reported observing what appeared to be damage to one of the aircraft’s back wheels.
Flight FA 212’s crew was alerted to the observation by airport staff.
SAFETY FIRST
Putting safety first, FlySafair decided the flight should return to Johannesburg. Before landing, FA 212 made a low pass over OR Tambo Airport.
This was so that safety and technical teams on the ground could inspect the landing gear visually before landing.
The crew landed the aircraft safely. However, one of the runways was closed for several hours, leaving a single runway for flight operations.
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