While the runway has since reopened, Cape Town International Airport’s primary runway was temporarily closed from Thursday afternoon until 7am on Friday morning due to a hydraulic fuel leak on the tarmac, causing flight delays to and from the city. The problem was discovered on Thursday when a plane encountered technical difficulties and had to be cleared from the runway.
Also read: Fuel spill causes delays at Cape Town International Airport
Although the Airports Company South Africa (Acsa) initially anticipated a brief closure, beginning at 2pm, the clean-up took longer than expected, stretching into the night.
In a statement released early on Friday morning, Acsa said, ‘We can confirm the main runway at Cape Town International Airport remains closed. To determine safe use of the runway, a surface friction assessment is being conducted, and we will advise once the runway is marked safe, as passenger safety is our top priority.’
Following that, an updated statement announced that the runway had been officially reopened.
It said, ‘Based on the results of a comprehensive friction assessment, it was determined that all residue has been removed, and ACSA is pleased to report that the runway was reopened at 7am this morning.’
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As per TimesLive, approximately 600 travellers were reportedly affected by the temporary closure. With the assistance of Cape Town Tourism, impacted passengers were accommodated overnight in nearby hotels.
Acsa expressed regret for the inconvenience, stating, ‘We would like to take this opportunity to apologise to all our customers and stakeholders for any inconvenience caused. Get in touch with your airline if you’re travelling today or download the Acsa mobile app for live flight updates.’
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