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On Friday (23 February), strong storms in and near Sydney caused flight disruptions, causing distress and frustration for Taylor Swift fans who were headed to the city for the next leg of her Eras Tour.
Just before Swift’s three-hour performance was scheduled to start, the first show of her four-night tour, inclement weather caused Airservices Australia, the government aviation agency, to restrict the number of arrivals and departures in Sydney. This resulted in multiple airlines having to delay or cancel flights, causing disappointment for some Swift fans who were unable to make it to the concert on Friday night.
On that night, fans of Taylor Swift were temporarily moved out of two sections of Sydney’s Accor Stadium due to a dangerous storm. As a result, the show was delayed and the opening performer, Sabrina Carpenter, was unable to perform her set.
Qantas reported that four flights were impacted and announced that they would use an Airbus A380 to transport 485 passengers from Melbourne to Sydney in an effort to lessen the effects of the cancelled flights.
The airline stated that this resource is typically utilized for international flights to destinations such as London and LA. However, due to the overwhelming demand for flights to Sydney today, it will instead be used to assist with domestic operations.
The airline stated that the affected customers were initially scheduled to depart on three different flights after 4pm, so it is unlikely that any Swifties traveling to the Friday night concert would have been affected. A fourth flight was also cancelled, and those customers were arranged to travel on other Qantas flights on Friday.
Qantas has acquired an international Airbus for the purpose of transporting customers to Sydney.
Airservices Australia, the country’s government aviation agency, told the Guardian that it was “delighted to be assisting our key customer Qantas in ensuring Swifties can get to Sydney before the inclement weather impacts the airport.
“We anticipate delays for both airborne and ground transportation. It is advised that passengers contact their respective airlines.”
Jetstar, a different airline, released a travel advisory on Friday cautioning that flights may be disrupted due to inclement weather. The company stated that they will reach out to customers whose flights are affected.
Jetstar has announced to the Guardian that they have implemented two additional flights departing from Melbourne and Brisbane on Saturday morning. They are also providing complimentary modifications to earlier or alternative flights from various airports.
Jetstar stated that they are making every effort to assist impacted customers in getting back on track as quickly as possible.
According to the outlet, Virgin stated that they were attempting to inform customers of any updates, but advised guests to verify their flight status.
Some Taylor Swift fans who had tickets to the Sydney shows were worried about the delays. A fan who spoke to ABC’s Brisbane Breakfast radio show said she had to pay AS$700 (£360) for last-minute flights after her travel arrangements fell through on Friday.
She stated that she received an email from Virgin this morning informing her that her flight for this afternoon had been cancelled.
According to News.com.au, she reported that although she had been rescheduled for a Sunday flight, her concert tickets were originally for the Saturday night performance.
She stated that she had to reschedule her Qantas flights for tomorrow morning at nearly twice the cost of the original price.
A pair from Queensland also encountered problems with their flight, expressing that they felt as if they were living in a “nightmare” after being unable to attend Swift’s Friday concert.
The couple informed 7News that after their Virgin flight was cancelled, they made arrangements for another flight to Sydney with a layover in Brisbane. However, after driving for three hours to the airport, they found out that the Brisbane portion of their trip was delayed, causing them to miss their connecting flight to Sydney. According to the couple, the airline explained that the reason for the delay was due to the crew needing rest.
Source: independent.co.uk
