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Major airlines are cancelling or pausing flights and airports are closing in southeast Queensland and northern NSW as Tropical Cyclone Alfred bears down on the Australian coast.
Jetstar flights from Ballina Byron have been cancelled and Qantas has also suspended flights in the region, while Gold Coast Airport closed ahead of the storm, which is expected to make landfall as a category 2 cyclone in the early hours of Friday morning.
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Gold Coast Airport closed to traffic at 4pm on Wednesday as weather continued to deteriorate ahead of the cyclone’s arrival, while Brisbane remained open at time of writing.
In a statement, Qantas said it was also suspending Coffs Harbour, Lord Howe Island and Ballina flights, with Brisbane and Sunshine Coast services continuing as scheduled; Jetstar flights to Brisbane, Sunshine Coast and Hervey Bay were also continuing to operate.
“The safety of our customers and people is our main priority. We have proactively cancelled a number of flights today from South East Queensland and Northern New South Wales,” a Qantas spokesperson said.
“The situation remains fluid and flight cancellations and delays will evolve over the coming days.”
Virgin Australia, meanwhile, said its meteorologists are “closely monitoring Tropical Cyclone Alfred”. The airline has also cancelled its Ballina Byron services.
“We recommend guests who are booked to fly to and from South East Queensland and northern NSW later this week monitor their flight information on the Virgin Australia website,” a spokesperson said.
Captain Steve Cornell, vice president and technical and safety director at the Australian and International Pilots Association (AIPA), told The Australian that conditions including strong crosswinds and low visibility from heavy rains make taking off and landing at airports dangerous.
“There’s lots of other considerations for airlines and airports in these circumstances,” he said.
“Let’s say you do manage to land your jet at Brisbane Airport – then it may be so windy you can’t actually open the doors.
“You need to have staff to unload these aircraft, you need to have refuellers, and engineers walking around checking the aircraft.
“If there’s storm activity none of that stuff can happen, and even if it’s not a lightning storm, there’ll be a hazard assessment on having people out on the tarmac.”
In a media alert on Tuesday night, Airservices Australia said it was “working closely with industry stakeholders” to protect passengers and employees and minimise disruption.
“We are engaging directly with airlines, airports, and other stakeholders to ensure our response is coordinated and safety is prioritised,” said Airservices.
“While airspace is not generally closed in response to weather conditions, airlines may decide not to fly in adverse conditions and airports can elect to close.
“Decisions on whether to cancel flights are a matter for airlines, and passengers with travel plans over coming days are advised to check the status of their flight with their airline.”
