Fire at Cape Town Airport Temporarily Halts International Flights

A fire at Cape Town International Airport (CPT) on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, led to the temporary suspension of all international departures and the diversion of some inbound flights. The airport operator, Airports Company South Africa (ACSA), confirmed the incident and stated that the fire, which was extinguished without any reported injuries, had a significant impact on critical airport infrastructure, including network and IT services.

The disruption highlights the operational vulnerabilities of major aviation hubs to landside incidents. While the fire itself was contained, its effect on the airport's technology backbone caused widespread delays. The incident forced a shift to manual processing for departing passengers, affecting systems managed by the Border Management Authority (BMA) and underscoring the deep integration of networked technology in modern airport operations.

Incident Details and Response

According to an official statement from ACSA, the fire was first reported at approximately 11:15 AM local time. The incident occurred in a landside area identified as the Northern Service Yard / International Inner Lane, away from the primary airside operational zones. Emergency services responded promptly to the scene, and the fire was successfully extinguished.

ACSA spokesperson Ofentse Dijoe confirmed the operational status in a statement. "As a precautionary measure, international departures have been temporarily suspended, and incoming international flights are being diverted," Dijoe said, attributing the decision to the fire's effect on "network and IT services." As a result of the system outages, airport Wi-Fi and other communications platforms were also temporarily unavailable.

Crucially, ACSA confirmed that no injuries were sustained by passengers, airport staff, or visitors during the incident and subsequent evacuations. The operator worked in conjunction with airlines and other stakeholders to manage the passenger backlog and communicate updates. International departures reportedly resumed on the evening of February 24, 2026, as technical teams worked to restore the affected systems.

Operational Impact and Airport Context

The temporary shutdown of international flights creates a significant logistical challenge for Cape Town International Airport, which is the second-busiest airport in South Africa. The facility serves as a critical gateway for tourism and business travel in the region. According to ACSA statistics, the airport processed a record 11.1 million two-way passengers in 2025, reflecting a 7% increase in both international and domestic traffic compared to the previous year. Any disruption, even for a few hours, can create cascading delays that affect airline schedules and passenger itineraries for days.

This event serves as a real-world test of the airport's contingency and operational resilience plans. Incidents that compromise IT infrastructure are a growing concern for airport operators worldwide. The dependency on networked systems for check-in, baggage handling, security screening, and border control means that a technical failure can be as disruptive as a physical obstruction on a runway. The reversion to manual processing at CPT, while necessary, inevitably leads to slower passenger flow and increased wait times.

Investigation and What Comes Next

ACSA has initiated a full investigation to determine the cause of the fire. The findings will likely be reviewed by the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA), the national body responsible for aviation safety and security. The investigation will focus not only on the origin of the fire but also on the specific points of failure within the IT and network infrastructure that led to the widespread service disruption.

Key areas of focus for investigators will likely include the redundancy of critical systems and the effectiveness of the airport's emergency response protocols. The lessons learned from this incident will inform future infrastructure planning and emergency preparedness strategies, not only for CPT but for other airports within the ACSA network. Airlines affected by the diversions and delays will continue to work on rebooking passengers and repositioning aircraft to restore normal schedules.

Why This Matters

This incident at a major African hub underscores a critical modern aviation vulnerability: operational continuity is heavily dependent on IT infrastructure. A landside fire causing a digital shutdown demonstrates that an airport's resilience is measured not just by its physical safety protocols but by the robustness of its network systems. For airport operators globally, this event highlights the necessity of investing in redundant IT infrastructure and comprehensive contingency plans that account for technological failures.

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