FlySafair Sues SAA Technical for R21.1 Million Over OR Tambo Aircraft Collision
- FlySafair launched a multimillion-rand lawsuit in the Johannesburg High Court against SAA Technical following a 2022 airport collision at OR Tambo
- Court documents name two SAA Technical staff members linked to the incident involving a runaway Airbus A320 tug vehicle
- The grounded Boeing 737-800 forced Safair to cancel 132 domestic flight sectors during the peak December holiday season
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JOHANNESBURG — FlySafair has filed a R21.1 million damages claim against SAA Technical in the Johannesburg High Court, more than two years after a ground collision at OR Tambo International Airport left one of its aircraft unfit for service during the busiest travel period of the year.
Sunday Times reported that the incident took place on 11 November 2022, when an Airbus A320 being manoeuvred by a tug vehicle operated by SAA Technical staff broke free and struck a Safair Boeing 737-800 that was stationary in its bay. Court papers filed on 2 September identify tug operator Y Rocker and cockpit brake rider L Gumede as the two SAA Technical employees central to the claim.
What the summons alleges
According to the court documents, a shear pin failure caused Rocker to lose control of the tug. He moved the vehicle out of the way and attempted to alert Gumede. Safair contends that Gumede failed to heed the warning, did not maintain an adequate lookout, and did not apply the aircraft's brakes before impact occurred.
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The resulting damage put the Boeing 737-800 out of commercial service between 1 and 22 December 2022, a period that coincided with South Africa's peak holiday travel season. During that window, FlySafair, which recently leaked a R12 sale for customers, was compelled to cancel 132 scheduled domestic flight sectors and surrender reserved airport slots.
How the R21.1 million figure was calculated
Safair's damages claim is based on projected lost ticket revenue across an estimated 24,070 seats. The airline calculated this figure using its average load factors and a 189-passenger seating capacity per sector across the affected flights.
Prior settlement negotiations between the two parties did not produce an agreement. Safair subsequently filed a Rule 41A notice indicating its willingness to pursue mediation before proceeding further. SAA Technical had not filed a formal response to the summons at the time of publication.
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