A shortage of air traffic controllers caused cancellations and major delays at Sydney Airport on Friday morning, Airservices Australia said, the latest disruption at the country’s busiest hub amid probes into recent near-misses.
About 14 inbound flights were cancelled and delays exceeded one hour after unplanned absenteeism left the tower short-staffed, Deputy Chief Executive Peter Curran told a Senate committee. Flow-management measures were lifted at 8:15 a.m. local time; minor delays lingered into the morning before schedules recovered in the afternoon.
Of 49 controllers employed in Sydney, 41 are needed for full operations. Eight have been on long-term absence, Curran said, leaving little buffer. The agency said it is recruiting and making it easier to call in extra staff.
Last week Reuters reported that controllers on duty during a July near-collision involving two Qantas aircraft had been flagged for high fatigue risk. That incident was the first of six near-misses at Sydney in about a month; the Australian Transport Safety Bureau is investigating.
Sources: Reuters
