Lanseria runway incident leads to flight delays
The runway at Lanseria Airport has been reopened, after a part of a light aircraft had collapsed on the runway earlier on Tuesday afternoon.
An airport official says: "It was just a motoral collapse. The aircraft has been moved and the runway has been opened."
The official then referred Jacaranda FM News to the CEO of the airport, Gavin Sayce, who was not immediately available for comment.
Kulula.com spokesperson William Smook has confirmed that one of the low-cost airline's flights had been diverted.
"A Kulula.com flight was diverted from Lanseria to OR Tambo earlier today, because of an aircraft on the Lanseria runway. The aircraft has now been cleared and operations continue as usual," he says.
When asked which flight had been diverted, Smook was unable to provide those details.
Incident involving light aircraft at Lanseria HLA, carriage collapse/up on landing. Runway closed. pic.twitter.com/t3UZx9fdyz
— Graham Balman (@Balman65) September 19, 2017
A Kulula passenger said the plane she was travelling in had been circling between OR Tambo International Airport and Lanseria as a result of the runway closure.
Last time using Kulula. We've been flying back and forth between lanseria and or tambo. I was meant to land at lanseria but there was an
— Mfumukazi (@ulemu_moyo) September 19, 2017
Accident. Now we have to fly back to lanseria because the runway has been cleared even though we've already travelled to OR Tambo.
— Mfumukazi (@ulemu_moyo) September 19, 2017
15 minutes actually. But we're still at or tambo because they are filling the plane with petrol
— Mfumukazi (@ulemu_moyo) September 19, 2017
A flight from Durban to Lanseria Airport has also subsequently been delayed.