Airservices Australia has released its Australian Aviation Network Overview report for January 2026.
Highlights include:
- The Australian aviation network entered 2026 with strong growth in domestic (+4.7 per cent) and international (+7.3 per cent) passenger flights through the summer holiday and sports season. The 22 January marked the busiest January day in the last seven years. This was offset by a decrease (10 per cent) in regional flights.
- Despite significant weather challenges, including ex-Tropical Cyclone Koji and periods of extreme heat, all key air traffic flow management (ATFM) indicators strengthened compared with the 12-month average. This reflects the capacity of our sector to manage surge volumes while continuing to collaborate closely on network planning and disruption management.
- The rollout of Airport Collaborative Decision Making (A-CDM) across the four busiest airports is improving operational predictability and transparency. Industry partners are working closely to share lessons, address remaining barriers, and align on benefits realisation.
- Air traffic service variations were 65 per cent lower than this time last year. ARFFS maintained full service availability at 25 of the 27 sites while responding to a 22 per cent increase in emergency response call-outs nationally. This month, Airservices managed 77,120 passenger flights, an increase of 867 flights year-on-year, and contributed 0.2 per cent of total network delays.
- Notwithstanding this notable improvement trend, it was disappointing to see inconsistency in service delivery, including four days at Sydney Airport where we had service disruptions that significantly impacted industry and the travelling public.
- We are implementing a number of additional measures to strengthen resilience in Sydney as a priority which has Executive and CEO oversight, including priority targeted actions improving rostering, strengthening management processes and continual training and recruitment.
- Noise complainant numbers decreased 25 per cent nationally in January 2026 compared to January 2025, continuing a downward trend in complainant numbers.
About Airservices
Airservices Australia is a government-owned organisation responsible for safely and efficiently managing air traffic in 11 per cent of the world's airspace, as well as the provision of aviation rescue fire fighting services at Australia's busiest airports. We are regulated by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority and work closely with our customers and industry to support the long-term growth of the aviation industry.
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