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Staff Shortage Among Air Traffic Controllers Causes Major Disruptions at Sydney Airport
Airservices Australia said capacity has been restored after more than 75 flights were affected and delays peaked at about 90 minutes.
On Friday morning, Airservices Australia implemented Air Traffic Flow Management measures at Sydney Airport to maintain safe aircraft movements during high demand, resulting in delays for dozens of flights.
A4ANZ Chief Executive Stephen Beckett cited a shortage of air-traffic controllers for the disruption, urging Airservices Australia to ensure staffing levels prevent the national network from grinding to a halt.
Qantas reported more than 75 flights affected, with at least 27 delayed and four cancelled via QantasLink. Virgin Australia experienced delays up to 80 minutes, while Jetstar had 25 flights delayed.
Airservices Australia confirmed measures ended around noon with an average wait time of 28 minutes. Yet Beckett said "chaos is in the network," as thousands of passengers dealt with missed international connections.
Future congestion relief is expected with Western Sydney International's opening, which will operate without Sydney Airport's slot constraints or curfews, providing necessary capacity for the aviation sector.