A fire inside Cape Town International Airport on Tuesday morning disrupted operations and forced evacuations near the international terminal. The Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) confirmed the blaze was extinguished and said all passengers, staff and visitors were safe.

Fire Contained but International Flights Hit

ACSA spokesperson Ofentse Dijoe said the fire occurred on the landside of the airport. Even after it was put out, international departures were temporarily suspended as a precaution. Incoming international flights were diverted, while international flights that had already landed were still being processed.

Evacuations and System Outages Caused Delays

The incident affected network and IT services, including airport Wi-Fi and other essential systems, according to ACSA. Airport insiders alleged that shops in the building were evacuated, smoke filled parts of the terminal and sparks were visible while crews worked to douse the flames. The baggage reclaim area was also impacted, with baggage reclaims stopped and passengers redirected via an emergency escape route at immigration

It is reported that the fire broke out in the airport’s office building and VIP lounge. It said authorities contained the blaze but a precautionary evacuation of passengers and staff from affected areas followed. Travellers also reported intermittent power outages and a loss of internet access during the response, which contributed to flight delays.

What Travellers Should do Next

ACSA advised passengers travelling on domestic departures or arriving on domestic flights to check directly with their airlines and use the ACSA mobile app for the latest update. It is also reported that flights to Cape Town from Johannesburg were briefly halted, then resumed shortly after.

The cause of the fire was not confirmed in the statements published on Tuesday and remains under investigation.