48 domestic flights cancelled due to ‘strong winds’ in Sydney: no international flights cancelled

School holidays in NSW are off to a turbulent start, with strong winds causing extensive flight delays and cancellations at Sydney Airport.

Airservices Australia executed runway closures at 7am on Friday which Virgin Australia said would remain in place until late afternoon.

Despite multiple airlines confirming all airlines had been impacted by the weather event, it is believed only domestic flights were cancelled, albeit some had experienced delays by 11am.

This led many patrons to question the circumstances around the 48 flight cancellations.

An Airservices Australia spokesperson insisted, however, that the decision was “purely weather and safety-related”.

The airspace safety organisation said “strong, gusty” westerly winds of 37km/h resulted in conditions deemed unsafe to operate parallel runways, with the implementation of a single runway operation as a safety precaution.

A Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) spokesperson said the forecast winds of 20 knots posed “a hazard to the aircraft using N-S runways in landing or departing”.

Strong crosswinds – winds blowing from sideways of the aircraft – impact its ability to land or take off as planes require headwind.

“As such they have to use the E-W runway,” the BOM spokesperson said.

Many on social media were quick, however, to question whether winds were truly to blame.

One Twitter user shared a photo of clear skies allegedly taken on Friday morning, stating there was “no wind”.

Other users said “airlines, staff shortages and runway maintenance” were truly to blame.

Another person speculated as to why only domestic flights had been impacted, given the delays and cancellations were put down to windy conditions.

Others commented on how the airport was “a mess right now” and pondered how the airport “seem(s) to know the starting date of school holidays on a fairly regular basis now”.

Neither Airservices Australia nor Sydney Airport would confirm whether it was only domestic flights that had been impacted, though an airport spokeswoman said she understood no international flights had been cancelled as of 10.30am.

Conversely, a total of 48 domestic flights had been cancelled throughout the morning.

Dozens of flights were also cancelled and delayed along the nation’s east coast on Thursday due to a severe shortage of air traffic controllers, leading to an effective closure of airspace to the south of Brisbane.

Airservices Australia said Friday’s delays and cancellations were not related to Thursday’s events.

Virgin said “a number of” its services in Sydney had been impacted by Friday’s weather.

“Due to the westerly wind today, operations have been reduced to a single runway, which is expected to be in place until late this afternoon,” a Virgin spokesperson said.

“All guests impacted by cancellations today are being recovered onto the next available flights, with the majority recovered today.”

Qantas said it was also expecting a “number of services” to be delayed or cancelled, and that it too would move affected customers to the next available flight.

Jetstar confirmed 12 services had been cancelled throughout the morning and that it would “re-accommodate passengers on alternative services as quickly as possible”.

A Sydney Airport spokesperson advised passengers with questions to contact their airline directly.

“There are some flight delays and cancellations,” they said.

“Airlines are working hard to re-accommodate passengers and get them on their way.”

The BOM said a series of cold fronts clipping Victoria, south east of NSW, were bringing “fresh” westerly and south-westerly airstreams to the southeast and central east of the state, which includes Sydney.

“The current Sydney AP forecast has westerly winds continuing till about early this afternoon then winds easing below 20kt in the latter part of the afternoon,” the BOM spokesperson said.

“However, the aerodrome forecasts are subject to change or amendment depending on the development of the weather systems concerned.”