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Airservices says it is taking steps to bolster resilience at Sydney Airport following last month’s high-profile disruptions.
In its Australian Aviation Network Overview report for January 2026, Airservices said broader trends are pointing towards continued improvement in air traffic management, with service variations down 65 per cent on the previous year.
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“The rollout of Airport Collaborative Decision Making (A-CDM) across the four busiest airports is improving operational predictability and transparency. Industry partners are working closely to share lessons, address remaining barriers, and align on benefits realisation,” the report read.
“This month, Airservices managed 77,120 passenger flights, an increase of 867 flights year-on-year, and contributed 0.2 per cent of total network delays.
“Notwithstanding this notable improvement trend, it was disappointing to see inconsistency in service delivery, including four days at Sydney Airport where we had service disruptions that significantly impacted industry and the travelling public.
“We are implementing a number of additional measures to strengthen resilience in Sydney as a priority which has Executive and CEO oversight, including priority targeted actions improving rostering, strengthening management processes and continual training and recruitment.”
According to the report, the aviation sector is continuing to grow, with 22 January marking the busiest January day in the last seven years.
“The Australian aviation network entered 2026 with strong growth in domestic (+4.7 per cent) and international (+7.3 per cent) passenger flights through the summer holiday and sports season … this was offset by a decrease (10.0 per cent) in regional flights,” the report read.
“Despite significant weather challenges, including ex-Tropical Cyclone Koji and periods of extreme heat, all key air traffic flow management (ATFM) indicators strengthened compared with the 12-month average.
“This reflects the capacity of our sector to manage surge volumes while continuing to collaborate closely on network planning and disruption management.”
Airservices says it has been pushing “active recruitment, training and cross-skilling” to ensure greater resilience in the event of short-term absences like sick leave following the disruptions at Sydney, which spurred a meeting with Airlines for Australia and New Zealand (A4ANZ) last month.
The provider reports that it has hired 91 new air traffic controllers over the past year, above its target of 85. CEO Rob Sharp said last year that staffing had returned to pre-COVID-19 levels, but was still “not where [Airservices] wanted it”.
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