Australia’s domestic air network is again under strain as travellers across Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and other major hubs contend with dozens of cancellations and hundreds of delays, particularly on services operated by Jetstar and QantasLink alongside other carriers. What began as a routine day of travel has, for many passengers, turned into a prolonged exercise in queuing, rebooking and anxiously refreshing airline apps, with knock-on effects rippling through business trips, family reunions and holiday plans nationwide.
Fresh wave of disruptions hits key Australian hubs
On February 13, 2026, live operational data from major airports showed a sharp spike in disrupted services, with 31 cancellations and 629 delays reported across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast alone. Jetstar and Qantas, including regional offshoot QantasLink, have borne a substantial portion of the disruption, alongside Alliance Airlines and other domestic carriers. For travellers, this means that even flights that technically operate are often leaving hours behind schedule, compressing connection times or missing them altogether.
Brisbane and Sydney, as two of the country’s busiest domestic gateways, are seeing extensive knock-on delays as aircraft and crews struggle to cycle back into position. Melbourne’s Tullamarine is similarly affected, with extended queues at security, check-in and customer service desks as passengers attempt to reroute. Perth, while less impacted numerically, is feeling the strain in the form of delayed eastbound departures and delayed arrivals that throw off schedules for the rest of the day.
For many travellers on popular routes such as Sydney to Melbourne, Brisbane to Sydney, and Melbourne to the Gold Coast, the disruptions translate into a chain reaction: a morning delay on one sector cascades across the day as aircraft rotate through the network. Even when airlines avoid outright cancellations, extended pushback times and late-arriving aircraft contribute to a sense that the entire domestic timetable is running out of sync.
Why flights are being cancelled and delayed
Airlines have not cited a single dramatic trigger such as a national systems outage or severe weather event, but rather a combination of operational pressures that collectively erode schedule resilience. Seasonal thunderstorms and low cloud can reduce runway efficiency and cause flow control restrictions at major airports, forcing carriers to trim rotations or accept holding patterns that push back arrival and departure times. Even a short burst of adverse conditions at one hub can disrupt dozens of flights if it coincides with a peak travel period.
Operational constraints within airlines are also playing a role. Domestic carriers are still fine-tuning their post‑pandemic networks, balancing strong leisure demand with crewing and maintenance limits. When an aircraft requires unscheduled engineering attention, or when a crew reaches maximum duty hours due to earlier delays, flights may be cancelled or consolidated at short notice. Regional operator QantasLink, which serves many of the smaller centres that feed into Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, is particularly exposed to these pressures, given its higher overall cancellation rate compared with some mainline carriers.
Infrastructure and air traffic capacity remain additional factors. Congestion during the morning and late-afternoon peaks often leaves little margin for recovery once delays start accruing. If a runway inspection, minor technical incident or ground-handling bottleneck occurs during these periods, the resulting stack of late departures and arrivals can take the entire day to unwind. This is especially evident at Sydney, where a busy runway schedule and strict operating curfews leave airlines with limited room to manoeuvre.
Which airlines and routes are being hit hardest
Jetstar and QantasLink have been among the most visible names in the latest disruption cycle, reflecting both their large domestic footprints and the nature of their route networks. Recent government on‑time performance statistics show that while the overall cancellation rate across Australian airlines is under 3 percent, QantasLink’s rate has been higher than average, and Jetstar’s on‑time performance has tended to lag behind its full‑service rivals. When pressure builds on the system, these carriers can therefore appear to bear a disproportionate share of delays and cancellations, simply because they operate so many of the sectors in question.
Routes linking major east coast cities continue to be flashpoints. Services between Sydney and Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, and Melbourne and Brisbane are among the busiest in the country, and they feature prominently in official statistics for delays and cancellations. When aircraft allocated to these trunk routes run late, the knock-on effects flow down to secondary routes such as Brisbane to Cairns, Melbourne to Hobart or Sydney to the Gold Coast, even if those airports are not themselves experiencing local weather or congestion problems.
Regional and leisure routes are feeling the tremors too. QantasLink flights that connect smaller communities into Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne have less operational slack; if a morning regional sector is cancelled or delayed, passengers may miss same‑day connections to the capitals. Holiday destinations serviced by Jetstar, such as the Gold Coast and other coastal gateways, also see bunching of delayed flights during school holiday peaks or long weekends, magnifying the impact on travellers heading for short breaks.
How travellers are experiencing the disruption on the ground
Inside terminal buildings, the immediate reality for many passengers is a series of frustrating waits interspersed with hurried decisions. Departure boards cycle through updates as “on time” flights slip into “delayed” status, sometimes repeatedly, leaving travellers unsure whether to stay near the gate or seek out food and rest areas. Long lines at airline service counters have become a familiar sight as travellers seek rebooking, accommodation vouchers or explanations about when they might eventually depart.
For families with young children, older travellers and those with mobility needs, the uncertainty can be especially taxing. A two‑hour delay can quickly expand into four or five hours once flow‑on disruptions are factored in, and information is not always delivered in a way that is timely or easy to interpret. While airline apps and text alerts have improved real‑time communication, passengers often report a disconnect between what they see online and what is being announced at gates, or between what is promised in one conversation and what can actually be delivered later.
Business travellers are also feeling the squeeze. Many rely on back‑to‑back appointments in different cities, meaning that missed morning flights can sever an entire day’s worth of plans. Some companies have responded by shifting more meetings online or building additional buffer days into travel schedules, but last‑minute disruptions still carry a real cost in lost productivity and stressed relationships with clients and colleagues.
Understanding your rights when flights are disrupted
Australian consumer law and airline conditions of carriage offer a framework of rights for travellers, but the rules are nuanced and can vary depending on the cause of the disruption and the specific airline. Generally, if a cancellation or significant delay is within the airline’s control, such as an engineering issue or crew scheduling problem, carriers like Qantas, Jetstar and QantasLink commit to rebooking passengers on the next available flight at no extra cost, and may provide vouchers or limited compensation such as meal credits or accommodation where necessary.
When disruptions are outside the airline’s control, such as severe weather, air traffic control restrictions or airport fuel problems, obligations are more limited. In many such cases, airlines focus on rebooking rather than monetary compensation, and they may not be required to cover hotels or meals. The fine print in each carrier’s conditions of carriage spells out thresholds for when you are entitled to a refund, a travel credit, or merely a seat on a later flight. Rule differences between full‑service carriers and low‑cost airlines also come into play.
Travellers with comprehensive travel insurance may have an additional layer of protection, though policies differ in how they treat delays versus outright cancellations. Some cover additional accommodation, meals and missed connections once a delay passes a certain number of hours, while others focus on reimbursement for non‑refundable trip costs. Understanding the interplay between airline obligations and insurance benefits is crucial, especially for complex itineraries or trips involving tight connections to cruises, tours or international flights.
Practical strategies for travellers caught in delays
While no passenger can eliminate the risk of disruption, certain practical steps can help soften the blow when cancellations or long delays strike. First, monitoring your flight status from the moment you leave home is essential. Airline apps, SMS alerts and airport departure boards will not prevent a disruption, but they can give you critical lead time to contact the carrier, adjust ground transport and alert anyone waiting at your destination. The earlier you know, the more options you typically have.
When a cancellation or severe delay hits, proactively reaching out to your airline usually yields better outcomes than waiting at the back of a long queue. Many carriers, including Jetstar and Qantas, now allow some rebooking functions via app or website, and call centres can be an alternative channel, particularly for travellers who are not yet at the airport. Remaining calm but assertive, keeping digital copies of booking confirmations and being clear about your preferred alternatives can increase your chances of securing a workable solution.
Building extra buffer time into itineraries, especially when connecting from a domestic flight to an international departure, is increasingly sensible given the pattern of recurrent disruptions. Travellers might also consider scheduling important meetings a day after arrival rather than within hours, and choosing earlier flights where possible to preserve rebooking options if something goes wrong. Flexible tickets, while often more expensive upfront, can offer greater freedom to shift travel plans without hefty change fees when delays and cancellations escalate.
What this means for Australia’s aviation reliability
The latest spike in cancellations and delays is part of a broader pattern in which Australian aviation performance, while improved from the chaos of the immediate post‑pandemic period, still falls short of pre‑2020 norms. Official on‑time performance data for the most recent financial year show arrivals and departures averaging in the mid‑seventies percentage range, below long‑term benchmarks, with a cancellation rate hovering around 2.5 percent. These figures are an aggregate, meaning individual routes and carriers can perform significantly better or worse than the average.
For airlines, the persistent volatility highlights the challenge of running lean operations in a system with limited slack. Carriers have invested in fleet upgrades, improved rostering technology and better customer communication tools, but the complex interplay of weather, infrastructure limits and tight scheduling continues to test the resilience of the network. Regional operators like QantasLink face additional constraints in serving smaller airfields with fewer daily services, which magnifies the impact of any single disruption.
From a tourism and economic standpoint, repeated waves of disruption can gradually erode traveller confidence, particularly among international visitors and high‑yield business customers who expect a certain level of reliability. While occasional bad days are inevitable in any aviation system, the perception of frequent chaos at major hubs like Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane risks pushing some travellers to reconsider trip timing, routing or even mode of transport on short‑haul routes where viable road or rail alternatives exist.
Looking ahead: preparing for your next Australian flight
With the latest disruptions underscoring the fragility of tightly wound schedules, travellers planning domestic journeys in Australia over the coming weeks and months would be wise to factor uncertainty into their arrangements. Avoiding the last flight of the day, allowing ample connection time between sectors and choosing earlier departures when practical can make it easier to recover from unexpected delays. Similarly, staying attuned to seasonal weather patterns, such as summer storms on the east coast, can help you anticipate periods of heightened risk.
For those flying with Jetstar, QantasLink or other carriers that have figured prominently in recent disruptions, reviewing fare conditions and opting for tickets that allow no‑fee changes or provide travel credits can add useful flexibility. Keeping essential items such as medications, valuables, a change of clothes and basic toiletries in carry‑on luggage rather than checked bags is also prudent in case an overnight delay or last‑minute re‑routing strands you away from your suitcase.
Ultimately, the latest wave of cancellations and delays across Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and other Australian gateways is a reminder that air travel remains vulnerable to a matrix of operational, environmental and infrastructure pressures. While airlines and regulators continue working to improve reliability, informed and prepared travellers are better positioned to navigate the turbulence, protect their rights and salvage as much of their journey as possible when the schedule unravels.