Adelaide Airport facing delays and cancellations as travel warnings released ahead of October break

It’s been a rocky start to the long weekend with multiple flights delayed or cancelled at Adelaide Airport, as officials release travel warnings for the Labour Day break and school holiday period.

Travel mayhem is well and truly under way at Adelaide Airport, with travellers facing delays and flight cancellations less than 12 hours into the October break.

Two inbound and two outbound flights operated by value-based airline Jetstar were canned before 7:45am this morning.

Another was cancelled around midday.

The routes affected operated between Denpasar and Adelaide, Adelaide and Brisbane and Adelaide and Melbourne.

It follows long queues and five cancellations on Friday.

7NEWS reported disgruntled Jetstar passenger, Daniel paid $1300 to fly to Sydney via Albury to arrive in time for a music festival.

“Nothing is stopping me from getting to this festival and I had to prove that,” Daniel said.

“My return flight on Tuesday hasn’t been cancelled yet.

Long queues are already starting to form at Adelaide Airport marking the start of the long weekend and school holiday period. Picture: 7NEWS

Adelaide Airport is expecting 430,000 passengers to pass through the terminals throughout the school holiday break.

An airport spokesperson said 30,000 were expected on Friday, followed by an additional 40,000 across Saturday and Sunday.

“The aviation industry continues to face capacity challenges, but we’ve been working closely with the airlines to provide as seamless experience as we can, both in terms of a smooth passage through check-in and security, and getting them to their destinations,” the spokesperson said.

“It’s anticipated that check-in and security queues will be longer than people may have been previously used to.

“Our security and customer care teams will be at full capacity to help facilitate customers from kerb to gate.”

Passengers are being asked to arrive up to two hours before a domestic flight and up to three hours ahead of international travel.

Multiple flights have been cancelled or delayed. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe

Officials have also issued warnings to South Australians travelling via road.

Police are urging motorists to make sensible and unselfish decisions in light of alarming statistics surrounding the October long weekend.

Over the past five years, six South Australians have lost their lives to road trauma on the October long weekend and 37 people have sustained serious injuries.

Superintendent Bob Gray said the state is still witnessing catastrophic effects of the ‘Fatal five’.

The ‘Fatal five’ refers to the most common behaviours responsible for fatal traffic accidents – speed, alcohol, not wearing a seatbelt, fatigue and distractive driving.

“Although there have been fewer lives lost than at this time last year, the number is still much too high and our data tells a chilling story of the causes of deaths and serious injuries,” Supt Gray said.

Police say it’s not just holiday makers who need to take responsibility for their driving behaviours.

Of the 55 lives lost this year, 67 per cent have been on regional roads, with 50 per cent of those lives lost being people who live within 20km of where the collision occurred.

The Department for Infrastructure and Transport has also reminded motorists of maintenance works in the Seaford/Flinders rail corridor and on the Brighton Road level crossing at Hove, causing closures over the long weekend.

The Seaford and Flinders rail lines will be closed with substitute buses operating between Adelaide and Seaford/Flinders railway stations from first service on October 1 to last service on October 3.

Trains will resume normal running as timetabled from first service on October 4.

Adelaide Metro 265 and N262 bus services will be detoured from 6am on October 1 to 2pm on October 3.

Brighton Road level crossing will also be closed to all traffic from 6am on October 1 to 2pm on October 3.

Traffic detours will be in place down Dunrobin Rd, Stopford Rd, Sturt Rd and Wattle Ave.