A shortage of air traffic controllers caused flight delays and cancellations at Sydney Airport on Friday, adding to scrutiny of Australia’s aviation safety system following several recent near-misses at the airport.
Airservices Australia, the agency responsible for managing the country’s air traffic, said it had introduced Air Traffic Flow Management (ATFM) measures at Sydney Airport because of “roster constraints” and the need to safely manage aviation demand.
The measures were lifted at 8:15 a.m. after conditions improved, although delays of up to 10 minutes were expected to continue through 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.
The agency said it was working to recruit more air traffic controllers and improve arrangements for calling in additional staff when required.
Some Qantas flights were delayed by more than an hour, while six flights were cancelled. Sydney Airport referred enquiries about the disruptions to Airservices Australia.
The disruptions came as Airservices Australia CEO Rob Sharp and other senior executives were scheduled to appear before a Senate committee examining the state of the country’s aviation sector and its ability to provide reliable and affordable services to regional areas.
The hearing follows a report that several air traffic controllers on duty when two Qantas aircraft nearly collided at Sydney Airport in July had been flagged as being at high risk of fatigue.
The report, which cited internal records and a call recording, said one shift manager described the staffing situation as “a bit insane”.
The July incident was the first of six near-misses recorded at Sydney Airport within about a month, prompting increased scrutiny of air traffic control staffing amid a global shortage of controllers.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau is investigating the incidents to determine whether they involved common safety issues or contributing factors.
