Hundreds of passengers were left stranded at the King Phalo Airport in KuGompo City on Tuesday after flights were cancelled, delayed or diverted amid bad weather and temporary navigation system constraints.
Travellers missed key commitments, including exams and a graduation, as airlines struggled to operate safely in poor visibility and strong winds.
The disruption comes as a critical landing support system at the airport has been temporarily suspended during an upgrade scheduled to last three more weeks, limiting aircraft operations when weather conditions deteriorate.
Several flights were grounded on Tuesday as pilots were unable to land safely in rainy and low-visibility conditions without the usual guidance systems.
Air traffic authorities have confirmed that the airport is undergoing a navigation infrastructure upgrade, which has temporarily reduced its ability to handle flights in adverse weather.
Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS) spokesperson Percy Morokane said the work formed part of a broader modernisation programme.
He said a key navigation system that helped guide aircraft on takeoff and landing was being replaced as part of an upgrade that started about a week ago.
“The existing system has been decommissioned and is being replaced with a new one.
“The estimated duration of the outage is approximately one month.”
Morokane said the temporary suspension of certain landing procedures was necessary to ensure safety during the upgrade.
FlySafair confirmed that several of its flights to and from King Phalo Airport had been affected.
Spokesperson Kirby Gordon said a combination of poor weather and the temporary loss of some landing guidance systems had forced cancellations and delays.
“These challenges are further worsened by the temporary unavailability of key instrument approach procedures,” Gordon said.
“These procedures are essential to allow aircraft to land safely in poor visibility, and their suspension means that flights cannot operate when weather conditions deteriorate beyond visual limits.”
He stressed that the issue was not related to aircraft faults.
“This is not an airline or aircraft problem, but external conditions affecting all airlines operating into the airport.”
Among the affected flights was FA388, which was diverted to Gqeberha and later scheduled to return to Johannesburg with the remaining passengers.
Flights between KuGompo City, Johannesburg and Cape Town were among those disrupted.
Linden Birns, MD of Plane Talking, said Airlink planes were fitted with satellite navigation systems which allowed their pilots, specially trained in their use, to operate without relying on ground-based systems affected by the upgrades.
An Airlink spokesperson said despite this, some flights had been delayed due to poor visibility caused by the inclement weather.
Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) confirmed that the disruption was linked to the ongoing upgrade project.
Spokesperson Ofentse Dijoe said the airport remained operational, but capacity was reduced under poor weather conditions.
“While the airport remains open and fully functional during this period, travellers should expect potential operational impacts,” she said.
Dijoe said that without the usual landing support systems, aircraft might not be able to land safely when visibility was low.
“The project has resulted in the temporary suspension of certain landing procedures,” she said.
Dijoe said the upgrade would ultimately improve safety and efficiency.
Passengers at the airport described long waits, uncertainty and frustration as plans unravelled.
Nolita Duda and Zintle Ngangelizwe were scheduled to board a morning flight but were told it would be delayed until later in the day.
“We are expected to write a test tomorrow [Wednesday] which is very important. I do not know what we are going to do,” Duda said.
Ngangelizwe said they understood the safety concerns but were unhappy with the lack of communication.
“We were given food vouchers, though we understand the cancellation, as they are prioritising our safety.
“But I feel they could have let us know earlier,” she said.
Another passenger said she was devastated after missing her child’s graduation in Johannesburg.
“I am heartbroken. I do not know what I am going to do, because I cannot afford to buy another flight ticket,” she said.
Jan Hennop, a former Dispatch digital news editor who now works abroad, was in East London as his family had been waiting for a long-overdue reunion.
“We are here at the airport, hoping for my wife’s mother to come from Johannesburg.
“We live in Malaysia and we haven’t seen her for five years, so we do not know what we are going to do,” he said.
“We are going to try and reroute her and hopefully we’ll see her later in the week.”
Airlines said they were assisting affected passengers with alternative arrangements.
FlySafair said customers could change to later flights, reroute via other airports such as Gqeberha, or request full refunds.
“We fully appreciate the disruption this causes and the impact on our customers.
“Safety will always remain our top priority, and we will not operate flights unless it is safe to do so,” Gordon said.
The South African Weather Service warned that the disruption could continue as severe weather spreads across the province.
Forecaster Nompumelelo Kleinbooi said a slow-moving weather system was bringing cold, wet and windy conditions to large parts of the country.
“This change in weather is associated with a cut-off low-pressure system expected to make landfall over the western parts of SA,” she said.
The system is expected to bring heavy rain, strong winds and thunderstorms, particularly across the Eastern Cape.
Kleinbooi warned of potential flooding, damaged infrastructure and dangerous travel conditions.
Buffalo City Metro spokesperson Bongani Fuzile urged residents to remain cautious.
“All BCM departments are on high alert and prepared to respond to any eventualities,” he said.
“Residents living near rivers, streams and flood-prone areas are strongly advised to remain vigilant and be prepared to relocate to safer ground if necessary.”
Emergency services remain on standby as authorities monitor the situation.
Daily Dispatch
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