A shortage of air traffic controllers at Airservices Australia led to a string of flight delays and a short window of cancelled departures at Sydney Airport on Friday, airport officials said.
Take-offs were scheduled to be cancelled between 3:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m., and departures were being held for four minutes after the previous departure — double the usual target on the airport’s main runways — as the staffing issue affected operations from about 10:00 a.m., Sydney Airport said. The disruption was expected to affect travellers heading to National Rugby League and Australian Football League finals this weekend.
"We're aware that reduced staffing at Airservices Australia may cause some flight delays today," a Sydney Airport spokesperson said, urging passengers to check the status of flights with their airline. Airlines typically decide on cancellations, rebookings and passenger communications in coordination with airport and air traffic control operations.
The staffing shortfall reprised similar disruption earlier this year. In February, more than 50 flights were cancelled at Sydney Airport after an unexpected shortage of controllers, when a single controller called in sick on short notice, leaving hundreds of travellers stranded and prompting scrutiny of rostering and contingency procedures.
Airservices Australia, the government-owned organisation responsible for air traffic control, did not immediately publish a statement detailing the cause of Friday’s staffing shortfall. In past incidents, the agency has cited illness, rostering constraints and the need to maintain safe separation standards between aircraft when explaining delays.
Airport operations teams manage runway timing, arrivals and departures to maintain safety margins. Extending the required interval between departures reduces runway capacity and can lead to knock-on delays across the day. On a busy day with major sporting events, even short reductions in capacity can lead to significant passenger disruption.
Travel industry groups and airlines regularly advise passengers to allow extra time for journeys to major airports during peak travel periods and around large events. For travellers affected by the delays, airlines typically offer rebooking options or refunds in line with their customer service policies.
Further updates were expected as airlines and Airservices Australia reviewed staffing levels and the schedule for the remainder of the day.