Sydney Airport Operations Disrupted, 23 Flights Scrapped

Sydney experienced significant disruptions at its airport following intense rainfall and flash flooding on December 24. Local media reported the cancellation of at least 23 flights scheduled to arrive at or depart from Australia’s Sydney Airport. By 7 am on Monday (2000 GMT Sunday), the airport’s arrivals and departures board indicated that 23 flights had already been canceled for the day.

Although Sydney Airport assured that there were no operational issues on Monday, disruptions were likely a consequence of delays and cancellations on Christmas Eve caused by heavy rain and thunderstorms, according to local news website News.com.au.

The flight cancellations on Monday included seven Virgin flights, six Qantas flights, and three Jetstar flights, along with some operated by smaller regional airlines, as reported by the Australian news channel Sky News. Virgin Australia attributed the cancellations to adverse weather conditions in and around Sydney over the past 24 hours.

The preceding day, the New South Wales (NSW) State Emergency Service conducted 20 flood rescues across Sydney and responded to reports of 30 homes inundated in the southern suburb of Pagewood, as detailed by the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper. The aftermath of the heavy rainfall continued to impact air travel, causing inconvenience for both passengers and airlines.