Tuesday, 24 February 2026.

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has taken note of the fire incident at Cape Town International Airport (CTIA) that led to the suspension of international departures, diversion of flights, and widespread disruption of critical airport IT systems. While we welcome confirmation that the fire has been extinguished and that passengers, staff, and visitors are reported to be safe, this occurrence reveals that our key transport infrastructure is poorly maintained and ill-prepared to deal with crises.

CTIA is a National Key Point, a strategic asset essential for economic activity, tourism, and international connectivity. Any major disruption here sends shockwaves through the national economy and undermines confidence in South Africa’s ability to protect and maintain critical infrastructure. It is therefore unacceptable that an incident affecting operational systems can halt international flights, strand travellers, and erode public trust.

Crucially, this is not the first time we have seen failures in the management and maintenance of our airports. Just earlier this year, a critical Air Traffic Control (ATC) system failure at O. R. Tambo International Airport disrupted air traffic operations, leading to widespread delays and cancellations while passengers and airlines struggled to manage the fall-out of a failed Flight Plan Management system.

In January 2025, South African airports, including Cape Town International and O. R. Tambo, were plunged into chaos due to power disruptions and a damaged cable at CTIA that impacted fuel and airport operations, causing delays for passengers and aircraft alike. Additionally, at times, our airports have struggled with basic infrastructure challenges such as fuel supply issues that threatened flight operations at O. R. Tambo, necessitating urgent government intervention to secure jet fuel supplies to keep planes flying.

These incidents — over just a short period — highlight a worrying pattern: our key airports are strained, under-resourced, and vulnerable to disruptions that could have been prevented or mitigated with proper maintenance, investment, and oversight.

The EFF has, on numerous occasions, raised these concerns in Parliament, in Portfolio Committee hearings, and in letters to Ministers and regulators. We have called for the summoning of ACSA leadership, airline executives, and transport regulators to account for deteriorating infrastructure, systemic failures, and the spiralling cost of air travel.

Therefore, whether it’s a maintenance issue or a security breach, this incident speaks to our concerns on the operational quality of our airports. That IT and network services were affected is even more concerning as it limits our ability to combat any harm that could arise whether due to infrastructure neglect or a security threat. The EFF once again calls on the Ministers of Transport, and Trade, Industry and Competition to account for these failures and present plans for the resuscitation of infrastructure in our airports.

ISSUED BY ECONOMIC FREEDOM FIGHTERS

Sinawo Thambo (National Spokesperson) 072 629 7422

Thembi Msane (National Spokesperson) 061 467 8169

Andiswa Madikazi (Parliament Media Liason) 069 516 4924

Thato Lebyane (Media Inquiries) 078 563 1581