FlySafair has moved to clarify the safety of its wheel maintenance procedures following an incident yesterday (December 3) in which two tyres on a Boeing 737 burst on landing at OR Tambo.
The incident occurred soon after a Netwerk24 report suggested the airline was experiencing a higher-than-normal rate of wheel component failures due to allegedly inadequate maintenance of tie-bolts – bolts that hold the two halves of an aircraft wheel together – citing a FlySafair incident that occurred in April 2024.
However, FlySafair responded saying all its aircraft undergo stringent inspections after every incident of a bolt showing wear or breakage.
“Any affected wheel is removed immediately for precautionary replacement. This is standard practice across global fleets,” explained Kirby Gordon, Chief Marketing Officer of FlySafair.
He went on to explain that FlySafair’s highest rate of bolt breakage over the past year was 0,14%, falling far below the manufacturer’s acceptable threshold of 1% each month.
“Last year’s isolated wheel-bearing failure had a completely different cause and was fully investigated. No connection to the current trend exists,” said Gordon.
JNB runway incident
According to Gordon, yesterday’s incident was also unrelated to bolt maintenance.
“We are currently inspecting the runway for any foreign objects and carrying out a full investigation to determine what may have caused the tyre bursts,” said Gordon.
“All relevant aviation authorities have been notified, and a comprehensive forensic investigation will now follow. This process may take some time to conclude, but we are committed to understanding the root cause.”
