Sydney Airport flights disrupted by air traffic controller shortage

A shortage of air traffic controllers led to flight cancellations and delays at Sydney Airport on Friday morning. Airservices Australia implemented Air Traffic Flow Management (ATFM) measures due to roster constraints and the need to safely manage aviation demand.

While the ATFM measures were lifted by 8:15 a.m., some disruptions persisted throughout the morning. The staffing issues resulted in six flight cancellations and delays of over an hour for some Qantas flights. Airservices Australia stated it is working to recruit more controllers and improve staff availability.

The disruptions occur amid ongoing investigations into several recent near-misses at the airport. This follows reports of high fatigue risks among controllers during a July incident involving two Qantas aircraft. Airservices Australia executives, including CEO Rob Sharp, are scheduled to appear before a Senate committee to discuss the state of Australia’s aviation sector.