Airlines for Australia and New Zealand (A4ANZ) has renewed its criticism of Airservices Australia after 33 departing flights from Sydney Airport were delayed on Thursday morning, citing ongoing air traffic control staffing shortages.
The industry body said some flights were delayed by more than one hour following departure restrictions at Sydney Airport and urged passengers to check with their airline for the latest travel information.
Staffing shortages blamed for disruption
A4ANZ Chief Executive Stephen Beckett said the organisation had sought an urgent update from Airservices Australia on the cause of the disruption, how long delays were expected to continue and the number of flights likely to be affected.
He said the delays were understood to be the result of ongoing rostering challenges at Airservices Australia’s air traffic control facilities.
Industry calls for lasting solution
While acknowledging flight delays can occur for a range of reasons, including weather and engineering issues, Beckett said repeated disruption caused by air traffic control staffing shortages was avoidable.
He said Australia’s aviation network could not continue to experience operational disruptions because of staffing constraints at Airservices Australia’s air traffic control centres.
