On September 11, 2026, Sydney Airport experienced flight cancellations and delays caused by a shortage of air traffic controllers. Airservices Australia enacted Air Traffic Flow Management (ATFM) measures to manage aviation demand and roster constraints, which were lifted at 8:15 a.m. local time (22:15 GMT on September 10).
Six flights were cancelled and some Qantas flights were delayed by more than one hour. Despite lifting ATFM measures, delays of up to 10 minutes were expected throughout the remainder of the morning. Airservices Australia acknowledged these measures disrupted airline schedules and is working with airlines to reduce delays and passenger impact.
Sydney Airport’s website referred delay inquiries to Airservices Australia.
The staff shortage results from recent fatigue concerns among air traffic controllers. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau is investigating six near-miss incidents at Sydney Airport over roughly one month. Internal reports flagged several controllers for high fatigue risk. A shift manager described staffing levels as “a bit insane.” Airservices Australia is recruiting more controllers and improving staff call-on procedures.
Passengers at Sydney Airport on September 11 should anticipate possible delays or cancellations. Airservices Australia’s CEO Rob Sharp and executives are scheduled to appear before a Senate committee reviewing Australia’s aviation sector
and its ability to deliver reliable and affordable services to regional areas.
An Airservices Australia spokesperson said, “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.” Airservices Australia enacted and lifted the ATFM measures due to the controller shortage causing the disruptions.
