Cape Town Airport Restores Full Operations After IT System Fire
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Cape Town International Airport restored full operations after a fire disabled its international terminal IT system, causing significant passenger disruptions.
Key Takeaways
- •Restored full operations after a fire disabled critical IT systems on February 24.
- •Highlights the vulnerability of airports reliant on centralized IT for passenger processing.
- •Reinforces the need for robust backup systems to ensure aviation business continuity.
- •Impacted an airport handling 11.1 million passengers vital to Cape Town's R24.5 billion tourism economy.
Core operations at Cape Town International Airport (CTIA) have resumed following a fire on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, that disabled the international terminal's critical IT systems and led to significant flight disruptions. The operator, Airports Company South Africa (ACSA), a state-owned entity managing nine of the country's airports, confirmed that power was fully restored by 6:30 pm on the same day, allowing passenger processing and other services to return to normal.
The incident highlights the vulnerability of modern airport infrastructure to single points of failure and underscores the importance of robust backup systems for operational continuity. The disruption impacted an airport that is a critical gateway for tourism, a sector that contributes significantly to the regional economy. While the fire itself was contained, the subsequent IT outage created a cascade of delays and cancellations, prompting calls for reviews of airport emergency response and infrastructure resilience protocols.
Incident Details and Response
The fire was first reported at approximately 11:15 am on Tuesday. According to ACSA, the blaze occurred on the landside of the airport in the Northern Service Yard, away from passenger-facing areas. Emergency services responded swiftly, and the fire was extinguished without any reported injuries to passengers or staff. However, the incident damaged infrastructure essential for the airport's IT network, leading to a system-wide failure in the international terminal.
With IT systems down, airlines and ground staff were forced to resort to manual passenger check-in and processing, causing long queues and delays. ACSA spokesperson Ofentse Dijoe issued a statement addressing the situation: "Airports Company South Africa apologises for any inconvenience and thanks our passengers and partners for their continued patience. Passengers are advised to arrive early and check their flight status directly with their airline." Passengers who missed flights due to the disruptions were urged to communicate directly with their respective airlines for rebooking options. An official investigation into the cause of the fire is currently underway.
Economic and Operational Context
The temporary disruption at CTIA serves as a stark reminder of the airport's importance to the local and national economy. According to Cape Town Tourism's 2025 Economic Value of Tourism report, 2.4 million overnight tourists arrived in Cape Town in 2024, contributing R24.5 billion to the city's economy. The same report indicates that the tourism sector directly supported over 106,000 jobs that year, accounting for 6.9% of total employment in the city. Any prolonged closure or significant operational inefficiency at the airport poses a direct threat to this vital economic engine.
ACSA statistics show that Cape Town International Airport handled 11.1 million two-way passengers in 2025, of which 3.33 million were international travelers. The reliance on complex, interconnected IT systems for flight management, baggage handling, security screening, and passenger services means that even a localized power or network failure can have widespread consequences. The incident aligns with broader industry trends emphasizing the critical need for backup systems, such as Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) units and redundant data centers, to ensure swift recovery, maintain passenger safety, and achieve business continuity.
Investigation and Next Steps
While ACSA has successfully restored operations, the focus now shifts to the investigation and future preventative measures. The findings from the inquiry into the fire's cause will be critical in determining whether procedural or infrastructural gaps contributed to the event. The incident will likely trigger a comprehensive review of ACSA's crisis management protocols and its investment in redundant power and data infrastructure across its network of airports.
Aviation experts have noted the importance of such reviews, emphasizing that airport operational continuity is paramount. Failures in critical information systems can lead not only to financial losses and reputational damage but also to potential safety hazards and non-compliance with international aviation regulations. The outcome of ACSA's investigation is expected to inform new strategies aimed at hardening critical infrastructure against similar disruptions in the future.
Why This Matters
This event at Cape Town International Airport is a significant case study for airport management worldwide. It demonstrates how a localized landside fire can trigger a major operational crisis by disabling core IT functions, affecting thousands of passengers and impacting a regional economy. The incident underscores the urgent need for airports to invest in and regularly test redundant systems and comprehensive business continuity plans to mitigate the cascading effects of infrastructure failures.
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Written by Ujjwal Sukhwani
Aviation News Editor & Industry Analyst delivering clear coverage for a worldwide audience. Covers flight operations, safety regulations, and market trends with expert analysis.
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