A shortage of air traffic controllers caused flight cancellations and significant delays at Sydney Airport on Friday morning, according to Airservices Australia, the federal agency responsible for managing the country’s air traffic.

Airservices Australia introduced temporary measures to control traffic flows and safely manage demand after an unexpected staffing shortfall. The restrictions resulted in around 14 inbound flight cancellations, while some flights were delayed by more than an hour.

The disruption adds to a series of operational challenges facing Australia’s busiest airport as Airservices Australia continues to deal with staffing shortages. It also comes as authorities investigate several recent near-miss incidents involving aircraft at the airport.

Peter Curran, Deputy Chief Executive of Airservices Australia, told a Senate committee examining the aviation sector that unexpected absenteeism had affected staffing levels.

“Last night, at relatively short notice, we had some unplanned absenteeism, which we weren't able to recover from,” Curran said. He added that having one fewer controller in the tower that morning had contributed to significant delays.

The traffic management measures were withdrawn at 8:15 a.m. local time, or 2215 GMT on Thursday, after operating conditions improved. Minor delays persisted through the remainder of the morning, but flight schedules had largely returned to normal by the afternoon.

An Airservices Australia spokesperson said the agency was coordinating with airlines to minimise delays and reduce the impact on passengers.

Sydney has 49 air traffic controllers, but 41 are required for normal operations. Curran said eight controllers were unavailable because of long-term absences, leaving limited capacity to handle unexpected staffing shortages.

“We've had some staffing challenges in the last number of weeks since July ... and we have some moments where that can become somewhat acute. Today's an example of that,” he said.

Airservices Australia said it was working to recruit additional air traffic controllers and improve arrangements for bringing in extra staff when operational pressures increase.

Source: Reuters

Global passenger demand for air travel fell 0.8% year-on-year in August 2026, as a sharp decline in Middle Eastern markets interrupted the industry’s recovery, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

Global capacity, measured in available seat kilometres (ASK), increased 0.3% from August 2025, while the passenger load factor fell by 0.9 percentage points to 85.1%.

International passenger demand declined 0.9%, with capacity unchanged and the load factor standing at 85.0%. Domestic demand dropped 0.5%, despite a 0.7% increase in capacity.

“Global demand for air transport contracted by 0.8% compared to August 2025 as the recovery trajectory for carriers in the Middle East was interrupted,” said Marie Owens Thomsen, IATA’s Senior Vice President Sustainability and Chief Economist.

She said Middle Eastern airlines recorded a 14.6% year-on-year decline in demand, reversing an improving trend. Excluding Middle Eastern carriers, global air travel demand increased 0.6% in August, although that was half the growth recorded in July.

Thomsen said global connectivity was generally weaker during the month, with some notable exceptions including domestic China. She added that the coming months would show whether higher energy prices and geopolitical uncertainty affect passengers’ travel spending.

Forward schedules for October currently indicate a more cautious outlook, with available seats expected to rise 2%.

The Middle East recorded the largest regional decline. Airlines in the region reported a 14.2% fall in demand, while capacity contracted 9.0%. The regional load factor declined 4.8 percentage points to 79.1%.

IATA said the deterioration reversed a period of gradual stabilisation. Traffic between the Middle East and Asia fell 11.7% compared with August 2025.

European airlines, by contrast, recorded 2.1% demand growth, while capacity increased 2.8%. Europe-Asia traffic remained strong, rising 12.2%, although transatlantic demand declined 2.4%.

Asia-Pacific carriers reported a 0.1% decline in demand, with capacity down 0.9%. Traffic within Asia fell 2%, while demand on the Asia-North America route increased 2.5%.

North American airlines recorded a 1.7% drop in demand alongside a 1.1% reduction in capacity.

Latin American and African airlines both posted 6.7% demand growth. African capacity, however, expanded at a faster rate, increasing 8.3%.

Domestic markets produced mixed results. Demand declined in Japan and the United States, while India recorded a 7.5% contraction. Domestic travel in China strengthened, supported by summer holiday demand.

IATA said the outlook for the coming months remains cautiously positive, with forward schedules indicating that global available seats could increase by 2% in October.

Source: ZAWYA

A powerful nor’easter brought heavy rain and strong winds to the northeastern United States on Saturday, disrupting air travel and leaving tens of thousands of people without electricity.

New York, Boston and Philadelphia were among the areas affected by the storm, which developed with strong northeasterly winds. Authorities warned residents in coastal and low-lying areas to prepare for flooding as the storm coincided with high tide.

The National Weather Service warned that the system could produce major coastal flooding along the Mid-Atlantic coast across several high-tide cycles over the weekend. It urged residents in vulnerable areas to prepare for significant flooding, including submerged roads and possible impacts on homes and businesses.

What is a nor’easter?

A nor’easter is a large-scale cyclone that forms over the western North Atlantic Ocean, typically along or near the US East Coast. While these storms can occur at any time of year, they are most common from autumn through early spring.

Nor’easters are generally associated with heavy rain or snow and powerful winds.

Thousands face power outages

About 95,000 customers across New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Pennsylvania were without electricity as of 3 p.m. Saturday, according to PowerOutage.com.

Hundreds of flights cancelled

The storm also caused widespread disruption at US airports. Boston Logan International Airport recorded 253 cancellations, according to FlightAware.

Airlines including JetBlue, United Airlines and American Airlines issued travel alerts, allowing affected passengers to change flights without paying a change fee.

By 6:13 p.m. local time (2213 GMT), FlightAware reported 439 cancelled flights involving US airports and another 2,459 delays.

Source: DW

Travellers from Kuwait are increasingly opting for shorter regional and international breaks as the peak summer holiday period comes to an end, according to travel platform Wego.

Wego’s latest data shows that the number of September departures involving trips of four nights or fewer rose 40% compared with August, pointing to stronger demand for compact holidays as travellers return to their regular routines.

Dubai, Cairo, Istanbul, Bahrain and Abu Dhabi were the most searched destinations for September. The cities offer a combination of cultural attractions, entertainment, dining, shopping and leisure activities suited to shorter stays.

Bahrain recorded the largest increase among the leading destinations, with searches for September departures rising 38% from August. Return fares to the most searched destinations started at KWD55 ($178) per passenger, based on searches conducted around one month before departure.

Mamoun Hmidan, Chief Business Officer at Wego, said September typically brings a change in travel patterns after the summer peak, with shorter breaks allowing travellers to fit trips around their regular schedules.

Demand for domestic travel also remained strong. Wego recorded a 53% year-on-year increase in hotel searches within Kuwait during July and August, suggesting continued interest in local staycations during the summer.

Kuwait City accounted for the largest share of domestic hotel searches, followed by Salmiya and Al Khiran. Average nightly rates started at KWD63.

The data indicates that travellers from Kuwait are increasingly looking for flexible trips that can be incorporated into shorter periods of free time, with nearby international destinations and domestic stays offering convenient options after the summer travel peak.

Source: TradeArabia

The Public Authority for Civil Aviation has rejected reports that transit flight operations at Kuwait International Airport will begin on October 1, describing the claims as inaccurate.

Authority spokesperson Abdullah Al-Rajhi said Tuesday that no airline operating at Kuwait International Airport had been notified of, or informed about, any decision to launch transit flights from the date cited in the reports.

Speaking to KUNA, Al-Rajhi urged airlines to confirm regulatory decisions and operational information with the relevant authorities before publishing announcements concerning air services or airport arrangements.

He stressed that carriers should consult the Public Authority for Civil Aviation before announcing new procedures or operational changes to ensure that information provided to passengers and the public is accurate and officially approved.

Al-Rajhi also criticised the publication of unverified announcements, warning that inaccurate information could create confusion among passengers and the wider public.

He reaffirmed the authority’s commitment to providing the aviation sector and passengers with timely information on approved developments. Any decision concerning the launch of transit flight operations will be announced officially through the authority’s approved communication channels.

Source: Kuna

The Norwegian Group carried 2.9 million passengers in August 2026, including 2.5 million passengers on Norwegian and 359,000 on Widerøe.

Norwegian increased its capacity by 3% year on year, while passenger traffic climbed 4%. Its load factor improved by 0.4 percentage points to 86.3%. The airline operated an average of 94 aircraft during the month.

Regularity stood at 98.9%, rising to 99.6% when cancellations related to the Avinor air traffic controllers’ strike are excluded. The industrial action disrupted travel for more than 20,000 passengers. Norwegian’s punctuality rate, measured by departures within 15 minutes of schedule, was 80.8%.

Widerøe increased capacity by 2%, while traffic remained unchanged. Its load factor consequently declined by 1.8 percentage points to 75.8%. The regional airline recorded punctuality of 93.3%, an improvement of 1.5 percentage points, while regularity reached 97.4%.

Norwegian said booking activity for the autumn remained strong, particularly around the school holidays. Meanwhile, its Norwegian Reward loyalty programme has surpassed 10 million members and is introducing five new membership tiers.

Source: QCAA