Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) has said it is taking action following a security incident at O.R. Tambo International Airport (ORTIA) involving a passenger found with two training hand grenades after arriving in Ethiopia.

In a media statement, ACSA confirmed that the passenger, who departed from ORTIA, was found with the grenades during reverse baggage screening at Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa.

Ethiopian Airlines formally notified ACSA of the incident in line with international aviation protocols, and ACSA reported the matter to the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA).

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The security breach occurred in the Hold Baggage Screening (HBS) area, which is under the operational control of Aviation Coordination Services (ACS), a third-party entity controlled by the Airlines Association of Southern Africa (AASA) and the Board of Airline Representatives of South Africa (BARSA).

https://t.co/Mry34KyczQ
🚨 🇿🇦➡️🇪🇹 Two training grenades slipped past security at OR Tambo and were only caught at Ethiopia’s Bole Airport-known for some of the tightest airport security in Africa. Now SA’s busiest airport is facing a R2m fine. Serious questions being asked.

— Ethiopia (@Ethiopiaa1st) July 22, 2025

While ACS claims that airlines are responsible for HBS, ACSA maintains, along with SACAA, that ACSA, as the licensed aerodrome operator, is responsible for providing HBS on behalf of the state.

ACSA has decided to terminate ACS’s services, stating that ACS has no legal contract to perform HBS services and is operating contrary to public procurement laws.

According to ACSA, ACS has accepted responsibility for the security lapse and has instituted disciplinary action against the employee involved.

Historical context

ACSA stated that ACS took over HBS operations from ACSA around 1998 under questionable circumstances, prompting ACSA to report the matter to the Hawks, the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), and the Auditor-General. ACS has been operating without a contract on an evergreen basis and is not recognised under civil aviation legislation.

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To address compliance issues, ACSA moved to insource HBS services and issued a tender to purchase the necessary equipment.

However, ACS challenged this decision in court, obtaining an interdict that prevents ACSA from implementing its insourcing plan until a court review is finalised. ACSA has been granted leave to appeal the interdict, with a date for the hearing yet to be set.

Strengthening security

In response to the incident, ACSA has implemented additional security measures in collaboration with the Border Management Agency, State Security Agency, SAPS, SAPS Crime Intelligence, National Key Point authorities and EMPD.

These measures include increased surveillance in critical zones, the establishment of joint oversight forums, and ongoing training to prevent similar incidents.