Questions over OR Tambo systems after source warns approaches, departures and staffing strained

Allegations about instrument procedures and controller staffing at Gauteng airports have renewed scrutiny of OR Tambo International Airport’s navigation systems and nearby airfields. The claims were made to The Citizen by an anonymous insider at Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS); ATNS has disputed several points and provided its own operational details.

Clarification: The claims about operational impacts were made by an unnamed ATNS insider to The Citizen. ATNS has disputed that staffing shortages have resulted in air traffic flow management restrictions this year, saying:

“No air traffic flow management restrictions have been implemented this year due to staff shortage in the airport’s approach pool.”

Allegations from an ATNS insider

The unnamed insider told The Citizen that a presidential aircraft had to divert from Air Force Base Waterkloof during low cloud and instrument meteorological conditions because, the source alleged, no instrument approach was available.

The insider also alleged that more than half of OR Tambo’s instrument departure procedures remained unavailable and that only two departures were available on Runway 21 and two on Runway 03. The source further claimed Lanseria airport’s ILS was unusable and that Wonderboom had no instrument approach available.

The insider claimed Johannesburg Approach had recently operated with fewer than 50% of the controllers required and said qualified controllers continued leaving for better-paying jobs overseas.

ATNS responses and operational details

“Air Force Base Waterkloof is a military facility and falls outside ATNS’ responsibility for the management of instrument approach procedures,” ATNS spokesperson Khulu Phasiwe told The Citizen. “It was consequently not able to comment on the availability or status” of procedures at the base or the reasons for any diversion.

On OR Tambo, ATNS disputed the extent of the problems described by the insider. Phasiwe said the airport “currently has a total 8 standard terminal arrival routes [STARs] and 4 standard instrument departures [SIDs] available with an additional SID available from next month.” He added that “one of the SIDs is not in use as it has a specified codependence on the IBGUGB Star which has not been published yet.”

Regarding Lanseria, ATNS rejected the claim that the ILS was unusable. Phasiwe said the ILS was being replaced but that an alternative global navigation satellite system (GNSS) approach for Runway 25 “is available and provides instrument approach capability while the ILS replacement is being addressed,” and that “the current published Lanseria ILS approach procedure has been maintained.”

ATNS did not provide a specific response about the status of Wonderboom Airport to The Citizen.

Staffing and contested operational impact

An anonymous source claimed Johannesburg Approach had recently operated with fewer than 50% of the controllers required. ATNS disputed that the staffing shortfall had caused any operational restrictions, with Phasiwe stating that staffing at the OR Tambo Approach pool “is at 70%” and that, as noted above, “no air traffic flow management restrictions have been implemented this year due to staff shortage in the airport’s approach pool.”

What remains unanswered

The Citizen reported the insider’s account and ATNS provided counter-statements on several points but did not answer all queries, including the specific status of Wonderboom and detailed reasons for the alleged diversion at Waterkloof.

Next steps

The Citizen said the Department of Defence had not responded to a query about Air Force Base Waterkloof and the alleged presidential diversion. The contrasting accounts from the unnamed ATNS insider and ATNS leave outstanding questions about instrument procedures and staffing at Gauteng airports.