Niël Terblanché
The Namibian Airports Company (NAC) has confirmed that Namibia’s two international airports, Hosea Kutako and Walvis Bay, were unaffected by the recent global information technology (IT) outage that disrupted airline operations worldwide.
Dan Kamati, the NAC spokesperson, in a statement issued on Friday, reassured travellers that all scheduled flights to Namibia’s international airports continued without any issues.
International media outlets reported that the global IT outage, which began early Friday, caused significant disruptions across numerous international airports.
The incident, attributed to a software update issue with systems like Amadeus and Sabre, affected airlines’ check-in and boarding processes, leading to delays and cancellations.
Major airports such as London’s Heathrow, Berlin, and Changi in Singapore reported significant impacts, with many travellers facing long wait times and cancelled flights.
“Despite these global challenges, Namibian airports remained fully operational,” he said.
Kamati advised passengers to stay informed by checking their airline’s websites and social media feeds for updates on specific flights.
He also reminded travellers to adhere to the NAC’s standard advisory of arriving at the check-in counter at least two hours before international flight departures.
Euronews reported that the global IT outage significantly affected airline operations, with over 5 000 flights cancelled worldwide by Friday afternoon.
The ripple effects of these cancellations were felt across various sectors, highlighting the interconnectedness of modern air travel and its critical role in the global economy.
It was reported that airlines and airports in Europe, North America, Asia, and Latin America experienced significant disruptions.
For instance, at Changi Airport in Singapore, long queues and delays were observed as the check-in systems for airlines like Singapore Airlines and Qantas were down for several hours.
Similarly, airports in the United States, including Philadelphia and Los Angeles, faced chaotic scenes as passengers struggled with the outage.
Interestingly, some regions reported minimal to no impact from the outage.
Several smaller regional airports and certain unaffected airlines managed to maintain normal operations.
The recovery from the IT outage is expected to take several days as airlines and airports work to get schedules back on track.
Major airlines affected by the outage stressed that the complexity of global flight operations means that delays and cancellations will likely continue to affect travellers in the short term.
Kamati encouraged all travellers to stay informed and follow advisories from airlines to ensure a smooth travel experience despite the global disruptions.
