There\u2019s something especially frustrating about airport chaos \u2014 the crowds, the queues, the quiet disbelief at the departure board. At Sydney Airport this week, it\u2019s flights again making headlines for all the wrong reasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
More than 30 domestic flights have been cancelled at Sydney Airport, with many others facing delays stretching for hours. The disruption stems from a severe staff shortage among air traffic controllers, which has forced Airservices Australia to reduce the number of planes arriving and departing at any given time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The organisation confirmed that \u201ca number of staff<\/em>\u201d had taken short-notice sick and carer\u2019s leave, leaving the system short-handed and forcing what it called \u201cspacing intervals\u201d for aircraft to ensure safety. The result: queues on the tarmac, missed connections, and a lot of frustrated travellers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Airlines including Qantas<\/a>, Jetstar, and Virgin Australia have been hit by the cancellations, with ripple effects expected to reach Perth and Brisbane later in the day. For passengers trying to make connections, it\u2019s been a slow and unpredictable morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The airline industry hasn\u2019t held back its criticism. Airlines for Australia and New Zealand (A4ANZ) said the delays were \u201cproblematic<\/em>\u201d and warned that any issue at Sydney quickly spreads across the national network. \u201cMost aircraft fly in and out of Sydney on any day, so when there are delays it impacts the whole network,<\/em>\u201d said Stephen Beckett, chief executive of A4ANZ, to SMH<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Former ACCC chair Graeme Samuel, now the organisation\u2019s chairman, was among those caught up in the chaos. His own flight was delayed for more than 90 minutes, and he described the situation as \u201coutrageous\u201d and \u201cnonsensical.\u201d \u201cYou can only use COVID for so long,<\/em>\u201d he said. \u201cIf Airservices hasn\u2019t got its act together after three years, something is awfully wrong<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nFlight Delays Spark Industry Outrage<\/h2>\n\n\n\n