Normalcy restored at Mthatha Airport after firefighters' protest caused flight diversions

JOHANNESBURG - The Mthatha Airport is now fully operational after flights were diverted to King Phalo Airport in East London.

This was due to an abrupt protest by firefighters at the airport.

The demonstration necessitated the diversion of flights, as any landing without firefighters on standby is strictly prohibited. 

To mitigate further challenges, the Eastern Cape Department of Transport said it had arranged for aircraft to land safely on Sunday.

“To avoid a recurrence of that, we have moved in with speed to rope in firefighters from the municipality for a safe landing,” said Department of Transport spokesperson Unathi Binqose.

This while the department said it was attending to the internal challenges it’s faced with.