Cape Town International Airport’s (CTIA) main runway was closed on Thursday afternoon due to a reported technical issue on an aircraft which led it to leak fuel on the runway - and by Friday morning it had not been cleared.
Flights were delayed or diverted from the airport, which was confirmed by the Airports Company of South Africa (Acsa) on Thursday.
Acsa said the runway was closed just after 14:00 on Thursday for safety reasons, adding that it would be "reopened shortly", but in a statement released after 21:00 on Thursday, it said the runway remained closed.
"The main runway was closed just after 2pm this afternoon. However, the secondary runway has remained available to small gauge aircraft. As a result, both arrival and departure flights have been impacted," Acsa's statement read.
"The aircraft in question was subsequently removed from the main runway, and this was followed by a runway inspection. Acsa is currently busy with clean-up operations, during which time the main runway will remain closed as the safety of our passengers and staff is our top priority.
"We would like to take this opportunity to apologise to all our customers and stakeholders for any inconvenience caused. The matter is receiving attention at the highest level of our airport management team.
"Travellers are advised to contact their respective airlines for more information," its statement added.
