Power has been fully restored, and flight operations are gradually returning to normal at Cape Town International Airport following a fire that caused significant disruptions earlier on Tuesday.

Airport management confirmed the fire broke out at approximately 11:15 in the Northern Service Yard along the international inner lane on the landside of the airport. Emergency teams responded swiftly and extinguished the blaze shortly afterwards, with all passengers, staff and visitors evacuated safely and calmly as a precaution.

Sections of the International Terminal affected by smoke were temporarily cleared while emergency protocols were implemented. No injuries were reported.

The incident affected the network and IT infrastructure, airport Wi-Fi and other essential services. Offices and the VIP lounge were also reportedly impacted.

As a safety measure earlier in the day, international departures were temporarily suspended and some incoming international flights were diverted while technical teams assessed the situation. Flights that had already landed continued to be processed.

According to airport officials, operations are now resuming in phases as systems stabilise:

• International departures have resumed, although passengers should expect delays and schedule adjustments following the earlier suspension.
• International arrivals may still experience knock-on effects after several flights were diverted during the disruption.
• Domestic flights experienced minor delays linked to system outages, with some disruptions expected to continue while operations fully normalise.

Airport authorities urged travellers to confirm flight details before heading to the terminal to avoid congestion.

Passengers are advised to check real-time updates via the Airports Company South Africa mobile application or contact airlines directly for the latest information.

Airports Company South Africa thanked passengers, airline partners and stakeholders for their patience during the incident and commended emergency response teams for their rapid and professional action.

Officials reiterated that passenger safety remains the airport’s highest priority and said further updates will be issued as the airport works toward restoring a full operational schedule.

*This article has been updated to reflect the latest information from the airport, as of 6 PM on 24 February