At the very least 23 flights out and in of Australia’s busiest airport have been cancelled on Christmas Day.
By 7am on Monday, the arrivals and departures board on Sydney Airport’s web site confirmed 23 flights had already been cancelled for the day.
It follows delays and cancellations on Christmas Eve attributable to heavy rain and thunderstorms.
Air visitors management imposed a ground-stop on all flights into Sydney simply after 5pm for about an hour.
Information.com.au understands the disruptions on Monday are possible a knock-on impact, with Sydney Airport confirming there have been no operational points on the airport on Monday.
Cancelled Christmas Day flights arriving and departing Sydney embody seven Virgin Australia flights, six Qantas flights, and three Jetstar flights, in addition to some operated by small regional airways.
About 20 Qantas flights had been delayed or diverted to Melbourne or Canberra on Sunday night, the place they have been refuelled or passengers re-accommodated on one other service that night time.
The nationwide service confirmed the influence to its community on Sunday had brought on a small variety of cancellations on Monday, however all passengers had been placed on new flights inside a number of hours of their unique departure time.
Virgin Australia has warned there could also be additional disruptions as thunderstorms are anticipated in Sydney on Monday afternoon and inspired passengers to verify the standing of their flight forward of time.
The airline stated it was working extraordinarily laborious to get its passengers to their remaining locations.
The cancellations are unfold throughout the morning and into the afternoon.
Flights which have been scheduled to land in Sydney on Christmas Day however have been cancelled embody companies from Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide, Darwin and Cairns.
Flights from Sydney to those cities, plus Perth and the Gold Coast, are additionally among the many cancellations.
A Sydney Airport spokesman stated on Sunday there had been “some native flooding which has impacted visitors across the home airport precinct.”
“Flights are at the moment arriving and departing, nevertheless some earlier flights have been affected, with quite a few arriving companies delayed,” he stated.
“Passengers are inspired to depart loads of time for his or her journey to the airport, and to verify with their airline concerning the standing of their flight.”
One image posted to X, previously Twitter, on Christmas Eve confirmed a Rex Airways bus driving by a flooded tarmac. It has been reshared a whole lot of instances.
“I didn’t know Sydney Airport’s buses have been boats,” joked one particular person.
“Wow!! Xmas Eve of all days. Loads of individuals gained’t be house in time for Xmas with cancellations coming by,” wrote one other.
“Numerous upset households, how unhappy,” agreed a 3rd.
“This could clarify why my aircraft couldn’t land and flight was cancelled. Hiya 4am Christmas morning rescheduled flight,” added one traveller.
A video circulating on social media stated to be taken on the airport confirmed a baggage automobile and trolley loaded up with suitcases being pushed by vital water.
Different footage confirmed automobiles driving by flooded roads and carparks exterior the terminal.
Sydney Airport is anticipating to have its greatest vacation interval in 4 years this 12 months with 2.6 million passengers anticipated between December 14 and January 3.
There are 1.1 million passengers anticipated to cross by the T1 worldwide terminal and a complete of 1.5 million home passengers are forecast to cross by the T2 and T3 home terminals.
