Hundreds of passengers are stranded for up to TWO DAYS after windy weather shuts down runways at Sydney Airport
- Flights in and out of Sydney delayed due to bad weather such as strong winds
- Jetstar was forced to cancel 15 flights from Sydney and others elsewhere
- Qantas flew in a Boeing 747 in a desperate attempt to help delays
- Wild weather is expected for Tuesday as well but no flights have been cancelled
- However, backlog is so bad some passengers told they’re stuck til Wednesday
- Were you caught up in the chaos? Email nic.white@mailonline.com
Hundreds of travellers were stranded around Australia after wild and windy weather in Sydney saw dozens of flights cancelled.
Strong winds forced Sydney Airport’s domestic terminal to shut down all but one runway on Monday, cancelling 89 departures.
Many passengers are still stranded across the country with some told they wouldn’t be able to get on a flight until as late as Wednesday.
Airlines resorted to desperate measures including bringing a Boeing 747 down to Melbourne and considered bussing passengers in from Newcastle Airport.
Strong winds around Sydney Airport forced the domestic terminal to only use one runway in and out. Pictured: Melbourne Airport
A Jetstar spokesperson said the airline was forced to cancel 15 return flights from Sydney on Monday due to the weather as Sydney Airport closed all but one runway
A total of 89 domestic departures were cancelled in Sydney on Monday
Melbourne airport’s spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia 42 flights between Melbourne and Sydney were cancelled on Monday due to the poor weather conditions in NSW.
Jetstar cancelled 15 flights from Sydney and numerous others around Australia that were headed into the NSW capital.
‘There are delays of up to three hours for domestic flights as other delayed flights work to get passengers to their destination,’ a spokesman told Daily Mail Australia.
Jetstar said at this stage there are no cancelled flights for Tuesday but this could change and travellers should check the airline’s website for flight status.
‘There are no extra costs if there is a need to change your flight because of the cancellations and delays,’ it said.
Qantas also has a massive backlog of domestic flights leaving and going to Sydney Airport.
The airline flew in a Boeing 747, a much bigger plane typically used for international flights, to help mitigate delays.
Qantas also has a a backlog of domestic flights leaving and going to Sydney Airport
Images taken at Melbourne Airport showed passengers waiting in long queues, filling up cafes and grabbing spots to rest where they could while they waiting for their flight. Pictured: Melbourne Airport
Jetstar staff in Melbourne frantically organised for at least one flight to be rerouted to Newcastle from where passengers would be driven to Sydney by bus, but ultimately didn’t proceed with the plan.
A Virgin Australia spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia there are strong winds expected for Tuesday but no flights have been cancelled at this stage, advising people to check the website for updates.
Photos taken at Melbourne Airport showed passengers waiting in long queues, filling up cafes, and grabbing spots to rest where they could while waiting hours for flights they weren’t sure would even take them.
The line at Melbourne Airport’s Terminal 4 where Jetstar passengers wait to be told if they will get on a flight – or be stuck for up to two days
Passengers who were booked on early morning flights waited more than 15 hours and some were told they would be stuck in Melbourne until Wednesday.
Passengers who were booked on early morning flights waited more than 15 hours and some were told they would be stuck in Melbourne until Wednesday.
Irate passengers took to social media to express their frustration at the delays.
‘Having a fun time trying to get home from Sydney with flight cancellations and delays,’ one person sarcastically wrote.
Another said: ‘Well, this is an adventure. Flight cancelled, stuck in Sydney overnight.’