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Service|Operations
Service|Operations
service|operations

Airlink reports flight delays on Sunday due to issues at ATNS

5th January 2026

By: Rebecca Campbell

Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

     

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South African domestic and regional airline Airlink has expressed sincere regrets about flight delays that affected its operations to and from Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport on Sunday. The airline assured that it had worked to recover its schedule and to make certain that all the affected passengers reached their destinations as soon as possible.

“The delays stem from Air Traffic Navigation Service’s (ATNS’s) failure to ensure it had sufficient staff to accommodate and manage the normal scheduled traffic to and from Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport [Sunday],” explained the carrier, in its statement. (ATNS is the country’s air traffic management and control agency.)

“In addition, a number of departure and arrival instrument flight procedures for OR Tambo International remain suspended, including some withdrawn as recently as 9 December, after ATNS failed to renew their validity before they expired,” affirmed Airlink. “In addition to departure delays from OR Tambo International, the shortage of air traffic controllers prompted a restriction on the number of flights permitted to be in Johannesburg’s airspace at any given time.”

These developments had had a ripple effect on the airline’s operations. In addition to delays, some flights had to be diverted, in some cases to as far away as Gaborone and Durban.

In turn, these meant that the airline was left with aircraft and crews out of position. This would cause knock-on delays as the airliners and personnel were not where they were meant to be, to start their next flights.

Airlink stated that it would post updates on the situation online, on its app and via social media channels. It pointed out that the situation was beyond its control. But it gave the assurance that it was working as fast as ATNS limitations allowed to end the delays.

 

Edited by Creamer Media Reporter

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