Sydney Airport increasingly contained to single runway

Sydney Airport is increasingly being contained to a single runway, boosting delays and cancellations to the chagrin of passengers. The airport, which is Australia’s busiest, was contained to a single runway for a record 81 hours in November due to severe weather conditions, namely high winds, according to data from Airservices Australia, the government body responsible for air navigation safety. There were 18 additional hours that restricted airline teams from accessing the tarmac due to thunderstorms. The delays do not bode well for the industry heading into the busy Christmas season after a year when the sector has experienced ongoing complaints from customers over flight delays. The lack of flight availability and delays have led some consumers to choose to catch the train interstate where possible or to pay increasingly high ticket prices to secure a seat, particularly on services between Sydney and Melbourne and Sydney and Brisbane. Airservices is tasked with reducing airport operations on guidance from the Bureau of Meteorology in the event of dangerous weather. Airlines are then responsible for how flight scheduling will proceed. An Airservices spokesperson confirmed November marked a new record for reduced runway operations at Sydney, but stressed the organisation prioritised safety above schedules.<br/>