JOHANNESBURG – The scene at O.R. Tambo International Airport on Friday, August 1, 2025, was one of controlled chaos. As a seasoned journalist who has covered aviation for years, I’ve seen my share of delays, but today felt different. It wasn’t weather, or a strike, or a technical issue with a single aircraft. It was a failure at the very heart of the system—a critical glitch in the Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS) Flight Plan Management system.
Ms. Nozipho Mdawe was the Chief Executive Officer of the Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS) until her precautionary suspension in March 2025.
Prior to her suspension, the CEO of ATNS, Nozipho Mdawe, identified several key challenges for the company:
- Staffing Shortages: There was a 10% shortage of air traffic controllers, particularly at Johannesburg International Airport, with approximately 10% of staff leaving each year. To address this, ATNS partnered with the South African Air Force to deploy their air traffic control officers.
- Technology Advancement: The company was working on embracing new technology, specifically passive radar, through a collaboration with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
- Training and Development: Mdawe highlighted the success of the Aviation Training Academy (ATA), which had been voted IATA’s best training academy for three consecutive years. The academy, in partnership with SANSA, also launched a program to study and mitigate the effects of solar activity on aviation.
The domino effect of the ATNS failure was predictable and swift. Flights were grounded, waiting for manual clearances that trickled in with agonizing slowness. Passengers, many with tight connections, milled about, their frustration a low hum in the terminals. The human cost of a systems failure was on full display: missed meetings, disrupted holidays, and the sheer inefficiency of a modern airport hobbled by a software malfunction.
While ATNS moved swiftly to assure the public that safety protocols were “strictly followed,” and that the issue was resolved by 5:00 PM, the incident is yet another blinking red light for South Africa’s aviation infrastructure. This isn’t the first time. We’ve seen similar, albeit smaller, disruptions in the past. These repeated failures raise a crucial question: are we treating our air traffic control systems with the seriousness they deserve?
The technology that guides planes is not a luxury; it is the linchpin of aviation safety and economic viability. When a system that automates the complex ballet of takeoffs and landings fails, the entire industry is forced to revert to manual, slower, and less efficient processes. The result is not just a few hours of inconvenience, but a cascade of delays that can affect global flight schedules and damage the country’s reputation as a reliable travel hub.
This is a wake-up call that goes beyond a single airport. It highlights a recurring pattern of under-investment and technical fragility. The solutions aren’t simple, and they’re certainly not cheap. They require a long-term, strategic commitment to modernizing our systems, investing in robust redundancy, and ensuring that the skilled personnel who operate these systems are supported with the best possible tools.
The quick fix is to restore a system and issue a press release. The real fix, however, is to learn from these failures. We need a transparent and comprehensive review of our air traffic control infrastructure. Anything less is an invitation for a more serious—and potentially more dangerous—incident down the line. We must demand better, not just for the convenience of passengers, but for the fundamental safety and economic health of our nation.
