Dozens of flights cancelled at Sydney Airport amid critical staffing issue

Dozens of domestic flights at Sydney Airport are cancelled and several others will face hours-long delays because of a shortage of air traffic control staff.

About 30 Qantas and Jetstar flights have been axed while Virgin also expects cancellations as Airservices Australia implements “spacing intervals” for flights arriving and departing Sydney to safely manage operations on Thursday.

Dozens of flights are cancelled amid a critical staffing issue at the air control tower.Credit: Wolter Peeters

Airservices Australia said the measure was triggered after “a number of staff” took short-notice sick and carer’s leave.

“We will keep delays to a minimum and apologise for any impact to our customers and the travelling public,” a spokesperson said.

Airservices Australia said flights could also be impacted in other cities, including Perth and Brisbane.

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Stephen Beckett, chief executive of Airlines for Australia and New Zealand, which represents all Australian airlines, was among travellers caught in the delays, which he said were “problematic” and would affect the entire national network.

“Most aircraft fly in and out of Sydney on any day, so when there are delays it impacts the whole network,” Beckett said.

In a statement, Sydney Airport urged passengers to check with their airline regarding the status of their flight.

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