Sydney Airport flights disrupted due to air traffic controller shortage

Sydney Airport experienced disruptions on Friday morning due to a shortage of air traffic controllers, according to the federal agency managing Australia's air traffic, Airservices Australia. The agency was forced to enact Air Traffic Flow Management (ATFM) measures at the airport due to roster constraints, which were lifted at 8:15am (2215 GMT on Thursday) as conditions improved.

However, delays of up to 10 minutes were expected throughout the morning, and some Qantas flights faced delays exceeding an hour, while six flights were cancelled. Airservices Australia acknowledged the potential for scheduling disruptions and is working with airlines to minimize the impact on passenger travel. The agency is also taking steps to recruit more air traffic controllers and make it easier to call on additional staff when necessary.

The disruptions follow a series of near-misses at Sydney Airport in recent months, including a reported incident involving two Qantas aircraft nearly colliding in July, where controllers were flagged as facing a high risk of fatigue. This incident, along with other near-misses, has prompted scrutiny of air traffic control staffing amid global shortages, with the Australian Transport Safety Bureau investigating to determine if there are common safety issues or contributing factors.