“No Updates, No Answers”: Post-Festive Flight Delays Frustrate OR Tambo Travellers

A Chaotic End to the Holiday Season

For many South Africans returning home after the festive break, the journey ended in frustration rather than relief. OR Tambo International Airport, the country’s busiest travel hub, was hit by widespread flight delays just as the post-holiday rush peaked.

By Sunday, social media timelines were flooded with complaints from passengers who said they were left in the dark, with no announcements, no updates on departure screens and no clear explanation for hours-long delays.

For travellers eager to get back to work, school routines and everyday life, the experience added unnecessary stress to an already demanding travel period.

Passengers Vent Online

From X to Facebook, stranded passengers shared images of crowded terminals and long queues, saying they had received little to no communication about what was going wrong.

Several travellers complained that delays were not reflected on OR Tambo’s arrival and departure boards, leaving people guessing whether to wait, rebook or abandon travel plans altogether. Others expressed concern about missed connections and overnight accommodation costs.

The silence, many said, was as frustrating as the delays themselves.

ATNS Points to Staffing Pressures

Air Traffic Navigation Services (ATNS) later confirmed it was dealing with operational disruptions at the airport. According to ATNS head of corporate affairs and communications, Mphilo Dlamini, the delays were mainly caused by temporary human resource constraints at the air traffic control station.

Dlamini said contingency plans had been activated, with additional resources deployed to stabilise operations. He assured travellers and airlines that the situation was being addressed and that services were expected to return to normal progressively.

Safety, he stressed, remained the organisation’s top priority.

Airlines Feel the Ripple Effect

Regional airline Airlink also issued an apology to passengers, warning that the problem went beyond a single airport delay.

The airline said restrictions on the number of aircraft allowed in Johannesburg’s airspace had disrupted schedules nationwide. Some flights were diverted to airports such as Durban and Gaborone, leaving aircraft and crews out of position and compounding delays.

Airlink said it was working closely with ATNS to recover its schedule and encouraged passengers to monitor updates via its app and social media channels.

A Familiar Problem for Local Travellers

For frequent flyers, the chaos felt uncomfortably familiar. Concerns about ATNS operations have been raised repeatedly over the past year.

In October 2025, airline industry bodies warned that the suspension of hundreds of instrument flight procedures was costing airlines millions and disrupting operations across the country. Earlier this year, Transport Minister Barbara Creecy stepped in after an investigation revealed critical shortages of air traffic controllers, outdated systems and weaknesses in safety governance.

Bigger Questions About Travel Readiness

As South Africa’s airports brace for future peak travel periods, the OR Tambo delays have reignited questions about whether critical aviation infrastructure is keeping pace with demand.

For now, weary travellers are left hoping that promised interventions translate into smoother journeys and that the next holiday season won’t end the same way: stuck at the airport, refreshing social media for answers.