Flight cancellations and delays occurred at Sydney Airport on September 11, 2026, caused by a shortage of air traffic controllers. Air Traffic Flow Management (ATFM) measures were introduced due to roster constraints to manage aviation demand safely.
An Airservices Australia spokesperson said minimal airborne delays were expected through the morning, and departure delays for domestic and international flights out of Sydney were mostly under 10 minutes. The agency acknowledged that ATFM measures caused some disruptions to airline scheduling.
Qantas experienced delays of up to 80 minutes and six cancellations before ATFM restrictions were lifted. Virgin Australia reported six Sydney-bound flight
cancellations and delays of up to 50 minutes. Additionally, two Melbourne flights were cancelled due to a separate ground delay.
Restrictions at Sydney Airport were lifted at 8:15am after air traffic conditions improved. However, ATFM measures remained in place in Melbourne, causing further network disruption.
Airservices Australia is recruiting more air traffic controllers and improving its ability to call on additional staff when needed to address the shortage and limit disruption to the network.
On September 11, 2026, Airservices Australia CEO Rob Sharp and other senior executives were scheduled to appear before a Senate committee examining the aviation sector’s ability
to deliver reliable and affordable services to regional communities. This inquiry follows increased scrutiny triggered by six near-misses at Sydney Airport in about a month, all under investigation by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.
The Airservices Australia spokesperson said, “Minimal airborne delays are expected through the morning, and departure delays for domestic and international flights out of Sydney are mostly under 10 minutes, due to demand.” The spokesperson added, “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.”
