Air traffic controllers at Sydney Airport are so stretched that flights have to be restricted once a month on average as there are not enough staff to safely manage the congested runways. Amid claims the workforce has been stretched to breaking point and, figures reveal an almost 50 per cent increase in the total overtime hours worked by air traffic controllers at Sydney Airport over the past three years. asks applicant* Invercargill Airport control tower to be phased out* Hawke's Bay Airport air traffic control tower left unstaffed at timesThe situation has prompted complaints from the private operators of the nation's busiest airport and concerns from major airlines. The government-owned corporation's figures show operations at Sydney were disrupted – with flights either delayed or cancelled – on 14 occasions in 2018 because there were not enough air traffic controllers available. CAMERON SPENCER/GETTY Flights were either delayed or cancelled 14 times in 2018 because there weren't enough air traffic controllers available.

Source: Stuff March 27, 2019 18:45 UTC