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Severe weather conditions have caused numerous delays and cancellations at Sydney Airport.
A “bomb cyclone” off the NSW coast is creating heavy rain and strong winds that present hazards to flying. 38 flights had been cancelled as at 5pm on Tuesday, with more flights scheduled for later in the evening also axed.
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At least 12 Virgin Australia flights have been cancelled, as well as a number of Qantas and Jetstar services, while Airservices has implemented a ground delay program in Sydney and the airport has moved to single runway operations.
“Airservices Australia has been working with the aviation industry overnight to manage the impact of severe weather conditions on operations in Sydney,” an Airservices spokesperson said.
“Aircraft movement rates have been reduced this morning. We are continuing to monitor the situation and will adjust operations throughout the day as appropriate.”
Virgin has notified Sydney and Newcastle passengers that their flights may be impacted by the weather, with a spokesperson saying guests should monitor the status of their flights via its website or app.
“The safety of our guests and crew is our top priority, and our meteorologists continue to closely monitor the weather system,” the spokesperson said.
“We regret the impact of this on guests’ travel plans and are working hard to ensure they reach their destination safely and as soon as possible.”
Qantas says it is continuing to monitor the weather and customers affected by delays and cancellations have been reaccommodated on different flights, while Jetstar in a travel alert on its website said delays are expected throughout the day.
“Impacted customers have been contacted directly and moved to the next available services,” the airline said.
“Our teams are continuing to closely monitor the situation and are working hard to minimise disruption where possible.
“We encourage all customers to check the status of their flight at jetstar.com or via the Jetstar app before heading to the airport.”
Reforms passed by Parliament late last year created a “recovery period” at Sydney Airport to minimise disruption from events such as severe weather.
Announced in February 2024, the period allows for 85 movements per hour – up from the cap of 80 – for up to two hours on any day when there is a severe weather event or other major disruption.
“This recovery period will not extend into curfew hours and there will be mandatory publication of information about when and why the recovery period is used so that the community can be confident it is being used properly,” said Transport Minister Catherine King at the time.
“This change will not increase noise impacts on communities, but it will mean more travellers can reach their destinations and spend the night at home rather than on a terminal floor or in a hotel room.”
