Cape Town International Airport delays: Queues hit flights

Cape Town International Airport delays reached 60 flights by 13:00 SAST on Friday, 30 October 2026, as taxi violence kept staff from work and security queues grew longer.

According to EWN, Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) activated business continuity processes at the airport on Friday morning after long queues formed at security screening. ACSA said half of its staff did not report for duty because of safety concerns. Acting Regional General Manager Malcolm Koopman said:

Currently, we have activated our business continuity processes.

How bad are the Cape Town International Airport delays?

Koopman said 60 flights were delayed by 13:00 SAST: 44 domestic departures, 11 international departures and five arrivals. The average delay was about 60 minutes, and no flights were cancelled. He said domestic departures were affected most, particularly at the security screening points.

FlySafair said in a social media post that its operations were being affected by unrest in the area and asked passengers worried about missing flights to message their flight number so it could check their status. Koopman said:

We recognise the frustration and inconvenience this has caused.

What is ACSA doing at Cape Town International Airport?

ACSA is prioritising resources for terminal operations and security, freeing apron stands for arriving aircraft and bringing in extra staff, including from other airports, Koopman said. Extra measures to improve passenger flow at security screening will stay in place until further notice. Passengers should arrive four hours before international departures, he said.

Police spokesperson Novela Potelwa said a joint operation by the South African Police Service and the City of Cape Town is under way to address taxi-related shootings. She said the agencies were watching live footage from hotspots through the City’s Joint Public Safety Operations Centre and had agreed to share specialist resources.

Why is taxi violence affecting Cape Town International Airport?

City urban mobility mayoral committee member Rob Quintas has said the violence stems from longstanding disputes between the Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (CATA) and the Cape Organisation for the Democratic Taxi Association (CODETA) over routes and operating rights. Shootings in Gugulethu, Khayelitsha, Mfuleni and Delft followed on Tuesday, 27 October 2026, and Wednesday, 28 October 2026.

Provincial Police Commissioner Sizakhele Dyantyi said on Thursday, 29 October 2026, that police and City officials had met to tighten their response and that the Provincial Taxi Violence Unit is investigating the attacks. Police have arrested four people in connection with the violence. Dyantyi said:

A stern warning is given to those that are stirring the violence that they will be dealt with harshly

Quintas said on Thursday evening that the industry had committed to resuming minibus taxi services for the Friday morning commute after talks with the South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO). Mobility Member of the Executive Council (MEC) Isaac Sileku met SANTACO and CODETA on Thursday, but CATA did not attend, citing prior commitments. Sileku said:

No dispute over routes or operating rights is worth a human life.

Another meeting is planned for Monday, 2 November 2026. The Western Cape government is preparing an urgent court application to clarify operating rights and plans a formal inquiry into alleged violations by identified taxi associations.

Sources

Andile Sicetsha

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