News24 | Passengers warned of delays as Cape Town International Airport resumes operations after fire

Firefighters were on the scene at Cape Town International Airport after a fire broke out on Tuesday morning

• Operations at Cape Town International Airport have resumed after a fire broke out near the international terminal on Tuesday.
• However, travellers have been warned to expect delays as several operations are being carried out manually.
• Following the fire, international departures were briefly suspended on Tuesday, and incoming flights were diverted.

Cape Town International Airport operations are returning to normal following a fire on Tuesday. However, travellers should still expect delays, the Airports Company of South Africa (ACSA) said.

The fire broke out in the international inner lane in the northern service yard. Although it was swiftly extinguished, power across the terminal was temporarily isolated to allow for thorough safety assessments.

While power and most systems have been restored, some manual processing remains in place.

ACSA said that most check-in systems were fully operational.

Lift Airlines continues to process passengers manually.

READ | Power restored, operations resuming after Cape Town airport fire

The Border Management Authority (BMA) and Customs are using manual systems, and passengers should expect extended wait times.

The processing of baggage is also currently manual, and delays in delivery are expected.

ACSA said that international departures resumed on Tuesday evening, and all aircraft that landed during the incident had been processed.

A limited number of international flights were diverted during the disruption.

The international arrivals corridor remains closed, and passengers are being diverted through a temporary area.

The fire was reported at about 11:15 on Tuesday and was extinguished shortly thereafter.

As a precaution, sections of the international terminal affected by smoke were evacuated.

A further precautionary measure saw international departures temporarily suspended, and incoming international flights diverted.

When News24 visited the airport on Tuesday, technicians had been working to restore power and network connectivity as passengers continued streaming into the terminal.

There were no functioning notice boards or visible announcements informing travellers that flights had been suspended.

The electronic display boards were also down due to the power outage. Confused passengers stopped anyone they believed worked at the airport, desperate for answers.