Some delays at OR Tambo after tyre fire

13 November 2012 - 13:42 By Sapa
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Flights have been delayed at OR Tambo International Airport after a take-off was aborted on Tuesday, the Airports Company SA said. "Each departing flight has had about a five-minute delay," said Acsa spokeswoman Unathi Batyashe-Fillis.

"Delays have been happening from 7am this morning until now. One would assume that we are experiencing many delays but we are not."

Part of the reason was that it was not peak time, she said. Two of the airport's runways were operating.

Earlier, a pilot for a Global Aviation plane -- carrying 120 passengers and seven crew members -- aborted take-off after one of its wheels caught alight.

No one was injured and emergency personnel extinguished the fire, said Batyashe-Fillis.

The plane was to depart to Malawi.

The affected runway was expected to re-open at midday.

"It will remain closed until Civil Aviation Authority officials have conducted their investigations on the runway," she said.

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