Taxi-related unrest has spilled over into operations at Cape Town International Airport, leaving travellers facing lengthy queues, disrupted travel plans and mounting frustration as staffing shortages take their toll on one of the country’s busiest airports.
Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) says the unrest has severely affected staff availability across key airport operations, putting additional pressure on security screening points and passenger processing services on what is traditionally one of the busiest days for domestic travel.
The disruptions have created a knock-on effect across airport operations, with passengers forced to contend with longer waiting times as airport management scrambles to keep flights moving.
By 13:00 on Friday, 30 October 2026, at least 60 flights had been delayed, including 44 domestic departures, 11 international departures and five arrivals.
The average delay stood at approximately 60 minutes.
Despite the widespread disruption, ACSA confirmed that no flights had been cancelled.
The impact has been particularly severe at domestic departure security checkpoints, where reduced staffing levels have slowed the movement of passengers through the terminal.
For travellers, the unrest has brought uncertainty and added pressure to an already busy Friday travel schedule, with passengers having to allow significantly more time to get through airport formalities.
The airport has now moved to reinforce its operations, bringing in additional personnel, including staff from other airports, to help ease the pressure.
Resources have been redirected to critical terminal operations and security screening, while apron stands have been freed up to accommodate arriving aircraft.
Additional measures have also been introduced to improve passenger flow and prevent further congestion at security checkpoints.
Malcolm Koopman, Acting Regional General Manager of Cape Town International Airport, says airport teams are working to contain the disruption while keeping passengers and staff safe.
“Our teams are doing everything possible to improve processing times while ensuring the safety and well-being of everyone at the airport.”
Koopman acknowledged the growing frustration among passengers whose travel plans have been disrupted by circumstances beyond their control.
“We recognise the frustration and inconvenience this has caused, particularly on what is traditionally a busy Friday for domestic travel.”
Travellers are now being urged to arrive at least four hours before international departures and three hours before domestic flights until further notice.
