Sydney Airport delays: Airservices restores capacity after air traffic restrictions disrupt dozens of flights
Thousands of travellers were caught up in widespread delays after air traffic restrictions disrupted flights at one of Australia’s busiest airports.
Travellers have faced hours of disruption at Sydney Airport after air traffic restrictions triggered widespread flight delays and cancellations across the country’s busiest aviation hub.
Dozens of domestic and international services were affected on Friday, with airlines reporting delays of up to 90 minutes as Airservices Australia introduced Air Traffic Flow Management (ATFM) measures to safely manage aircraft movements.
Qantas said more than 50 flights were delayed and four were cancelled, while Virgin Australia reported 20 delayed services and two cancelled Melbourne flights. Jetstar also experienced delays across 25 services, while regional carrier Rex was forced to offload passengers from some aircraft and return them to the terminal.
Sign up to The Nightly's newsletters.
Get the first look at the digital newspaper, curated daily stories and breaking headlines delivered to your inbox.
By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.International travellers were also caught up in the disruption, with departures to destinations including Hong Kong and Seoul delayed by about an hour, according to FlightRadar24.
Airservices Australia said the restrictions were introduced to safely manage demand but have since been lifted.
“Airservices this morning enacted Air Traffic Flow Management measures at Sydney Airport due to operational restrictions to safely manage projected airborne and departure demands,” a spokesperson said.
“Airservices acknowledges the ATFM measures, which have now been removed, caused disruptions to airline scheduling, however capacity has now been restored and no further significant delays are anticipated.”
The government-owned agency also defended its air traffic controllers amid recent scrutiny over operational performance.
“Airservices air traffic controllers are incredibly proud and dedicated to performing what is a demanding, safety-critical role,” the spokesperson said.
“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.”
While normal operations have resumed, Friday’s disruptions left thousands of passengers scrambling to rearrange travel plans as delays rippled through airline schedules across the day.
More to come...
