Sydney Airport flights disrupted due to air traffic controller shortage

SYDNEY: A shortage of air traffic controllers caused flight cancellations and delays at Sydney Airport on Friday (Sep 11) morning, the federal agency responsible for managing Australia's air traffic said, as probes continue into several recent near-misses at the airport.

Airservices Australia said it was required to enact Air Traffic Flow Management (ATFM) measures at Sydney Airport "due to roster constraints" and "to safely manage aviation demand".

The ATFM measures were lifted at 8.15am (6.15am, Singapore time) after conditions improved, though delays of no more than 10 minutes were still expected for the rest of the morning.

"Airservices acknowledges the ATFM measures may have caused some disruptions to airline scheduling, and is working with airlines to reduce delays and the impact on passenger travel as much as possible," a spokesperson said by email.

The agency said it was taking steps to recruit more air traffic controllers and make it easier to call on additional staff when needed.

Some Qantas flights faced delays of more than an hour, and six flights were cancelled. Sydney Airport's website did not specify a reason for the delays, and a spokesperson referred enquiries to Airservices Australia.

The disruptions come as Airservices Australia CEO Rob Sharp and other senior executives are due to appear later on Friday before a Senate committee that is examining the state of Australia's aviation sector and its ability to deliver reliable and affordable services to regional areas.

Last week, a Reuters report - citing internal records and a call recording - said several air traffic controllers on duty when two Qantas aircraft nearly collided at Sydney Airport in July had been flagged as facing a high risk of fatigue.

One shift manager reportedly described the staffing situation as "a bit insane".

That incident was the first of six near-misses at Sydney Airport in the space of about a month, prompting further scrutiny of air traffic control staffing amid global shortages. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau is investigating the close calls to determine whether they shared common safety issues or contributing factors.