In iSelect’s Australian Airport Delay Index for 2025, Sydney saw 6,700,207 passengers delayed or cancelled, ahead of Melbourne at 6,360,989, and Brisbane at 4,652,914. Delayed flights sat at 23 per cent, while 3.12 per cent cancelled last year.

Speculation has whirled into a frenzy earlier this week with news that several unidentified drones had been seen flying over RAAF Base Williamtown and Newcastle Airport in early July.

In a statement released to the ASX, the charter and FIFO operator said there will be a “staged reduction from 30 aircraft to 23 aircraft [in the agreement] over the course of FY27”, as well as a “meaningful increase in pricing” and a revised annual price escalation mechanism.

Speaking exclusively to Australian Aviation, Sharp said he feels Airservices should have around 1,200 air traffic controllers, and that current recruitment rates are the highest in its history. It comes as Airservices faces criticism for highly-publicised delays and near misses at Sydney Airport.