Airservices Australia is calling on Qantas to contact customers incorrectly informed that flights were delayed at Sydney Airport on Monday 8 May due to air traffic controller shortages to advise that it was strong crosswinds that resulted in delays.
Qantas mistakenly informed its customers despite being advised on Sunday 7 May that strong crosswinds were likely to result in single runway operations at Sydney the following day.
Airservices Australia enacted single runway operations at Sydney Airport due to strong runway crosswinds.
This decision was purely weather-related – crosswinds on the parallel runways were up to 56 km/h and stronger gusts were possible.
Safety is Airservices No.1 remit.
Airservices resumed parallel runway operations by 12 noon on 8 May due to easing south-westerly wind conditions.