Sydney Airport expected to be hit by further delays as weekend flights impacted
It comes a day after more than 100 flights were delayed by about an hour.
Passengers hoping to fly out of Sydney Airport have been told to expect delays of at least an hour on Saturday.
Reduced air traffic control staff is believed to be at the centre of the issue which delayed more than 120 flights by about 90 minutes on Friday.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Sydney Airport delays to last all day amid controller shortage
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.Airservices Australia expects 113 of the 639 flights arriving at and departing from Sydney Airport to be impacted by “operational restrictions” on Saturday.
The government-owned corporation blamed Friday’s delays on the same issue which caused it to increase the time between departing and arriving flights to ensure the safety of passengers.
It acknowledged the measures “caused disruptions to airline scheduling” but also noted “no further significant delays are anticipated”.
The government-owned corporation added that “air traffic controllers are incredibly proud and dedicated to performing what is a demanding, safety-critical role”.
“We take their wellbeing and psychosocial safety seriously and ask that commentary on operational performance recognises the professionalism and commitment of the controllers working every day to keep the travelling public safe.”
Former pilot Richard de Crespigny likened the issue to “running a marathon on one lung”.
“There’s a shortage of air traffic controllers and they’re doubling the separation between aircraft to halve the flow, which will cause now delays of up to an hour all day today out of Sydney,” he told Weekend Sunrise.
“These air traffic controllers are very skilled, very professional people, they run a very safe operation, but there just aren’t enough.
“Often when they go sick, there isn’t enough redundancy for them to be given resilient service.”
7NEWS.com.au has approached Airservices Australia for comment.
Originally published on 7NEWS
