Flights delayed across Australia after large-scale Airservices IT outage

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A large-scale IT issue at Airservices Australia’s Melbourne Air Traffic Service Centre forced controllers to revert to manual flight-plan processing on Tuesday evening, causing widespread delays across multiple major Australian airports including Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth. Airlines reported cascading knock-on delays and some schedule disruptions as traffic-management measures were introduced to keep the system safe while technicians worked to restore automated services.

What happened — the technical fault and operational response

Airservices Australia — the government organisation responsible for air traffic control and the safe flow of air traffic in Australian skies — confirmed the outage affected its Melbourne centre, which controls the southern half of Australian airspace. The primary operational impact was that the automatic sharing and processing of filed flight plans was unavailable, forcing staff in affected centres to manually enter flight-plan data in some circumstances. Air traffic management teams put traffic-management measures in place to preserve safety while throughput was reduced.

According to multiple local reports, arrivals into Melbourne experienced particular pressure from around 17:00 local time, with some incoming flights delayed by more than an hour as controllers balanced runway capacity with the extra time needed for manual procedures. Adelaide and Perth airports also reported delays to arrivals and departures linked to the same issue, and airlines including Virgin Australia confirmed network-wide delays as a result.

Airlines and airports: immediate impact on passengers

Virgin Australia acknowledged the disruption, saying there were “multiple delays across our network” as a consequence of the outage and urging customers to check flight status pages and contact their booking channels for updates. Travellers at affected airports faced longer waiting times and were told to confirm with their airline before travelling to terminals. Bristol-style passenger advisories from major airports pointed to cascading timetable impacts, where a delayed inbound aircraft can knock several later services off schedule.

Melbourne Airport’s operations were among the hardest hit, with arrival sequencing slowed down while controllers processed flight plans manually — a safe but slower method than automated systems. Adelaide Airport posted similar notices, warning passengers of expected delays of around 30–60 minutes for some evening services and advising travellers to check with their airline. Perth operators likewise reported knock-on effects for evening slots.

Why manual flight-plan processing matters

Modern air traffic management relies on automated exchange of flight plan and surveillance data to maintain optimal aircraft spacing and runway throughput. When those electronic feeds fail, controllers can still safely separate traffic — but only at reduced capacity and with increased workload. Manual entry and cross-checking of flight plans is time-consuming and contributes to slower arrival and departure rates until automation is restored. That trade-off between safety and efficiency explains the delays passengers experienced. (See Airservices Australia operational manuals for how procedures scale back in abnormal conditions.)

How long and what’s being done

Technicians from Airservices were reported to be actively working to restore normal automated processing; authorities implemented temporary traffic management measures while the issue was resolved. At the time of reporting, Airservices had not indicated any compromise to core safety systems or real-time communications between controllers and aircraft — the disruption was focused on flight-plan processing rather than radar or voice communications. Airlines and airports said they would continue to operate as normal where possible and rebook or assist stranded passengers as needed.

Passenger advice & rights during IT outages

When national ATC systems degrade, airlines typically invoke schedule recovery procedures and advise travellers to expect delays. Passengers should:

• Check their airline’s flight status page and mobile alerts before leaving for the airport.

  
  

• Keep hold of travel receipts and any extra expenses (meals, hotels) in case reimbursement policies apply.

  
  

• Contact the airline or travel agent for re-booking options — major carriers usually waive change fees in large disruptions.

  
  

  Remember: delays caused by air traffic control or government agencies are not always covered by airline compensation policies, but airlines often assist with re-routing or refunding depending on the circumstances.

Wider context: Australia’s fragile operational peaks

Australia’s airports have faced several high-profile technology and staffing disruptions in recent years — from SmartGate/immigration system outages to sudden controller shortfalls during severe weather — that have all produced ripple effects around the network. The Melbourne centre outage is a reminder of how tightly meshed modern aviation systems are: a single technical fault in a core ATC processing node can reduce nationwide capacity and disrupt hundreds of flights. Aviation analysts say resilience planning — including redundant systems, rigorous contingency drills, and clear passenger communications — is essential to reduce the commercial impact when technical issues arise.

Industry reaction & next steps

Industry sources told local media that while Airservices’ contingency procedures worked as designed (maintaining safety at all times), the event highlights the need for continued investment in resilient infrastructure and rapid recovery capability. Airlines, airports and Airservices will likely review the outage’s timeline, root cause and mitigations in the coming days to identify improvements and reassure the travelling public. Regulators and industry stakeholders frequently publish after-action summaries following systemic incidents; monitor Airservices’ media pages for official post-incident reports.