Sydney Airport is experiencing delays for many flights, particularly arrivals, as gusty westerly winds sweep across the region.
According to the airport’s flight schedule, many arriving flights are delayed by 10 to 30 minutes, while departures are largely on time.
At 11.10am, winds reached near gale force at WSW 51.8km/h, with westerly gusts affecting the airport throughout the morning.
A Sydney Airport spokesperson said the weather had forced a runway change.
“Due to weather, Airservices Australia has shifted arriving and departing flights to Sydney Airport’s east-west runway, which may cause some delays throughout the day,” the spokesperson said.
According to Sydney Airport, strong westerly winds can significantly impact operations.
When wind gusts exceed 20 knots (about 37km/h), Airservices Australia moves flights from the dual north-south parallel runways to the single east-west runway.
This process, known as “single runway operations”, reduces the airport’s capacity.
For example, if the schedule allows 70 movements per hour, 15-20 flights may need to be cancelled each hour while the winds persist. After delays, clearing the backlog is further limited by regulatory hourly movement caps.
Passengers are encouraged to check with their airline regarding the status of their flight and allow extra time when travelling to Sydney Airport.
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