SYDNEY AIRPORT: High winds close runways and cancel flights

Weather including forecast high winds has forced Sydney Airport into one runway operations this morning. This will severely affect air traffic, so expect delays and cancellations. Single runway operation reduces the airports operations by 50% or more, curtailing the number of landings and departures per hour.

The weather warnings resulted in Airservices Australia’s advice to reduce operations. Airlines have already cancelled flights in expectation of the inopportune weather.

Cancelled Flights

The Sydney Airport website is showing upwards of 124 cancelled flights. It’s predicted that half of all flights might be cancelled. Travelling in or out of Sydney Airport today? Check your text messages and airline apps, before you travel.

Airlines will be consolidating flights, and trying to get all passengers where they want to go today as much as possible.

Weather means one runway operation

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a gale-force wind warning for the Sydney Coast. The warning extends to the Hunter Coast, Illawarra Coast and Batemans Coast. Winds are predicted to run northwesterly between 25 and 40 km/h moving towards westerly at 30 to 45km/h today.

Those strong westerly crosswinds, currently with wind gusts at 43km/h at the airport, will trigger a one-runway operation. This is done for aircraft and passenger safety.

International v Domestic

Most international arrivals and departures look unaffected. It is domestic operations that seem to be bearing the brunt of the weather-related issues.

2PAXfly Takeout

This is a repeat of yesterday when heavy winds hit Sydney Airport and caused one runway operation and similar delays. The result was cancelled flights yesterday. That was probably the cause of the delays and cancellations I suffered directly from yesterday. All my flights were either delayed or cancelled.

Much as I hate a delayed and cancelled flights, I would much prefer to know that I was travelling safely, although arriving later.