Airservices Australia is examining shorter overnight operating hours for Sydney Airport’s control tower as a staffing measure to ease pressure on air traffic controllers at Kingsford Smith. Major airlines, including Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Australia, back the idea, which would redeploy overnight staff to daytime shifts at Australia’s busiest airport while leaving the existing 23:00 to 06:00 curfew unchanged.
The proposal would mostly affect exempt movements such as medical and emergency flights, rather than routine commercial traffic. It comes after persistent shortages of qualified controllers have already caused delays and operational disruption in Sydney, with one unexpected absence on 11 September triggering major problems.
Airservices has not sought approval from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, and no implementation date has been set. The review remains at an early stage, but it reflects the pressure on the network as regulators and operators look for ways to stabilise peak-period operations and reduce the risk of further close calls.