Africa World

 Fuel Crisis Grounds Planes at South Africa’s Busiest Airport, Threatening Holiday Travel

 Fuel Crisis Grounds Planes at South Africa’s Busiest Airport, Threatening Holiday Travel
Source: Bloomberg
  • PublishedDecember 10, 2024

Just two days after a pilot strike at South African Airways (SAA) ended, a new crisis is threatening to disrupt travel at O.R. Tambo International Airport, South Africa’s busiest, Bloomberg reports.

Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) confirmed on Monday that the airport is experiencing significant “refueling challenges,” leaving airlines unable to refuel their aircraft.

The refueling problems raise the spectre of further flight delays and cancellations, casting a shadow over the peak December holiday travel season. The recent three-day strike by the South African Airways Pilots Association (SAAPA) already caused SAA to cancel approximately 60% of its flights. While SAA has since resumed its normal schedule, the current fuel shortage could trigger a new wave of disruptions.

 

Michelle Larsen

Michelle Larsen is a 23-year-old journalist and editor for Wyoming Star. Michelle has covered a variety of topics on both local (crime, politics, environment, sports in the USA) and global issues (USA around the globe; Middle East tensions, European security and politics, Ukraine war, conflicts in Africa, etc.), shaping the narrative and ensuring the quality of published content on Wyoming Star, providing the readership with essential information to shape their opinion on what is happening. Michelle has also interviewed political experts on the matters unfolding on the US political landscape and those around the world to provide the readership with better understanding of these complex processes.