'Unacceptable': dozens of flights delayed as airlines blast air traffic control

Passengers urged to check their flight status.

A fisherman sits on the edge of a rock wall on Botany Bay as a Qantas passenger jet prepares for take off from Sydney Airport. Picture by AP/Mark Baker

By Sarah Falson

Updated July 30 2026 - 2:15pm, first published 2:14pm

Travellers heading to a major Australian airport are being urged to check their flight status as dozens of flights have been delayed.

Airlines for Australia and New Zealand (A4ANZ), the industry advocacy group for major commercial airlines, said 33 flights were delayed at Sydney Airport on the morning of Thursday, July 30.

Sydney Airport confirmed some flights had been delayed and advised passengers to check with their airline regarding the status of their flight.

Get exclusive travel tips, hidden gems & expert insights: delivered to your inbox

"Due to a combination of Airservices Australia operational matters and wind conditions, some flight departures and arrivals were delayed this morning," a Sydney Airport spokesperson said.

A4ANZ said some of the flights had been delayed by up to one hour and pointed the figure at "ongoing operations issues" in air traffic control.

"Airservices Australia has experienced persistent operational issues due to its inability to adequately staff critical air traffic control functions," said A4ANZ executive, Stephen Beckett.

"It is understood today's disruptions are the result of rostering challenges that Airservices Australia has, for years, committed to addressing.

"Flight delays occur for many reasons, including adverse weather and engineering issues. However, repeated disruption caused by air traffic control staffing shortages is entirely avoidable and completely unacceptable."

Beckett said Australia's aviation network "cannot continue to grind to a halt because Airservices Australia cannot adequately staff its air traffic control facilities".

But a spokesperson for Airservices said the issue was a runway change which was required at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport to manage "un-forecast strong tailwinds".

"The runway change required the implementation of additional air traffic flow management measures to safely manage projected airborne delays, reduce complexity, minimise delays where able, and manage some rostering constraints," the Airservices spokesperson said.

"Airservices acknowledges the air traffic flow management measures have caused operational disruptions to airline scheduling and is working with airlines to reduce delays and the impact on passenger travel as much as possible."

Words bySarah Falson

Sarah is ACM’s travel producer. She believes regional travel is just as fun (if not better) than staying in the big cities and loves any travel experience to do with nature, animals and food!.

My all-time favourite destination is ... Cornwall. From the giant seagulls to the blustery beaches, Cornish pasties and fishing villages, it stirs something romantic and seafaring in me.

Next on my bucket list is … Mongolia. I want to go somewhere really unique that feels totally foreign and challenges my way of life.

My top travel tip is … Don’t plan too much. Walk the streets and let it happen. And make sure you check out what’s within a few blocks of your hotel - sometimes the best local food is found that way.