Australian Aviation Faces Staffing Crisis Amid Pandemic Recovery
Sydney Kingsfordsmith International Airport experienced significant disruptions on January 15, 2026, due to a shortage of air traffic controllers, with dozens of domestic flights being cancelled or delayed. The issue was attributed to last-minute staff absences, which reduced the number of trained air traffic controllers available. The staffing shortage reflects a wider crisis in Australian aviation since the COVID-19 pandemic, with Airservices Australia recruiting experienced air traffic controllers from the United States to address the shortage. This was first reported by AeroTime.