Cape Town - Flights arriving at and leaving the main airport in Durban were delayed after a power cut disrupted refuelling of aircraft, a Mango spokesperson said.
“Approximately 20% of Mango’s morning flights were impacted by 90-minute delays on average” at King Shaka International Airport, Hein Kaiser, a spokespersman for the low-cost carrier, said in an e-mailed statement on Tuesday.
Flights were back on schedule by 12:00 after fuel was brought in from other airports, he said.
King Shaka, which is run by Airports Company South Africa (Acsa), is working with fuel-service provider Sky Tanking to resolve the issue, the airport said on its Facebook page.
Five aircraft were affected, it said in a separate post, without giving a reason for the electricity cut.
Airlines have been told to fuel planes before they depart for Durban to make sure they have enough to then leave the city.
Eskom last year had to stage 15 days of rolling blackouts, the first since 2008, to prevent a total collapse of the aging grid. There is a high risk of cuts on Tuesday, according to its Twitter page.
Mango flights were also delayed in Cape Town after a bird strike, Kaiser said in a separate e-mailed statement, without giving further detail.
King Shaka is also having problems with its water supply and is handing out bottles of water to passengers and airport staff, according to its Facebook page.
Due to a power outage in Durban affecting all airlines refueling at King Shaka International Airport, please expect delays. We apologise
— Mango (@FlyMangoSA) January 6, 2015
1/2: As many industries reopen this week after the festive season, electricity demand has increased.
— Eskom Hld SOC Ltd (@Eskom_SA) January 6, 2015
2/2: As a result the risk of load shedding is expected to be low to medium this week. We urge you to use electricity sparingly at all times.
— Eskom Hld SOC Ltd (@Eskom_SA) January 6, 2015