Sydney airport flight chaos enters third day

Travellers have been warned to prepare for delays for the third day in a row, as cancelled flights leave thousands in the lurch.

Sydney airport has been struck by a third day of chaos, with more than a dozen flights cancelled before 10am on Sunday.

The domestic terminal was filled with travellers by 8am, with queues only expected to lengthen throughout the day.

A total of 17 domestic flights scheduled to depart Sydney Airport on Sunday were cancelled before midday. All of them were being operated by Qantas and Jetstar.

While earlier cancellations were due to strong winds impacting runway access, it’s understood this is not the case for Sunday’s sacked flights.

Travellers passing through Sydney Airport on Sunday are facing a third day of chaos as two airlines cancel multiple flights. Picture:NCA NewsWire, Monique Harmer

A total of 16 flights have been cancelled out of Sydney Airport on Sunday. Picture: Sydney Airport

More than 100 flights have been cancelled at Sydney Airport in the past two days, with the transit hub already under extra strain from the start of school holidays.

The commuter chaos extended north to Brisbane, with nine flights cancelled by 10am., and south to Melbourne, where 14 domestic flights had been cancelled by the early afternoon.

While the majority of these flights were Qantas and Jetstar trips, a small portion were Virgin Australia.

A Qantas spokesperson said Sunday’s cancellations are result of a backlog created by disruptions earlier in the week.

“Qantas is continuing to recover passengers as a result of significant disruptions from weather and air traffic restrictions over the past few days as well as crew availability,” the spokesperson said.

“We're working hard to get everyone to their destinations.”

More than 100 flights have been cancelled out of Sydney Airport over the last two days. Picture:NCA NewsWire, Monique Harmer

A Qantas spokesperson said the cancellations are as a result of backlogs over recent days. Picture:NCA NewsWire, Monique Harmer

Qantas is working with passengers to ensure they get to their destination. Picture:NCA NewsWire, Monique Harmer

It is a peak period at the airport as the state begins school holidays. Picture:NCA NewsWire, Monique Harmer

On Saturday, Virgin said it expected disruptions to continue but would work to move guests impacted by flight cancellations onto the next available flights.

“Multiple Air Traffic Control shortages occurring across the network over the last two days as well as a reduction to one runway in Sydney yesterday has caused number of crew displacements and operational issues that are now impacting flights in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane today,” a Virgin Australia spokesperson said.

“More disruptions are expected due to the ongoing impact of the industry wide disruptions over the last two days, and we will continue working to keep our guests updated.

“All guests impacted by cancellations today are being recovered onto the next available flights.”