Several Australian airports on the southeastern coast have closed their terminals while airlines have cancelled flights as a Category 2 cyclone continues to barrel towards the country.
The “extremely rare” Tropical Cyclone Alfred is causing severe travel disruption in the country as it draws near to the southeast Queensland and northern New South Wales coast.
The area covered by the Cyclone Alfred warning zone stretches approximately 450-500 km along the east coast of Australia, from Double Island Point in Queensland to Ballina in New South Wales.
Alfred is forecast to make landfall early Friday between Maroochydore and Coolangatta as a Category 2 cyclone.
All flights from Byron Bay’s Ballina airport have been cancelled, and Gold Coast Airport, 55 miles up the coast from Ballina, also closed its terminal at 4pm on Wednesday in response to the cyclone.
“The safety of our team, customers and airport is our number one priority,” the airport said.
Damaging winds of 120kmph are already hitting Coolangatta and Ballina while gusts up to 155kmph could hit coastal areas as far south as Cape Byron from Thursday afternoon.
In a statement on its website, Ballina Byron Gateway Airport said that due to high winds, all flights to and from the airport have been cancelled on Wednesday 5 and Thursday 6 March.
“Please check directly with your airline for updates and to manage your booking. Stay safe!” the domestic airport said.
The airport runs up to 45 direct flights per week to Sydney and Melbourne, with arrivals and departures operated by Australian airlines such as Jetstar, Qantas and Virgin Australia.
Virgin Australia said it is suspending its flights to and from Ballina Byron Bay until Friday 7 March, while Jetstar and Qantas said they had ceased operations at the airport until at least midnight on Thursday.
Virgin Australia told its passengers that it has made other schedule changes as a result of the cyclone.
“Safety is always our top priority, and our meteorologists continue to closely monitor the weather system. We are working with all stakeholders including airports, local councils, and authorities as the situation evolves,” the airline said.
Virgin Australia is currently operating a limited schedule to and from Brisbane Airport before 6pm on Thursday, suspending its flights from the afternoon of Wednesday through to midday on Friday.
Brisbane Airport said that while some airlines are cancelling services due to the cyclone, the airport remains open.
Jetstar also put out a statement to say it has stopped operations at Gold Coast (Coolangatta) airport from 4pm on Wednesday due to the strong winds from the cyclone.
“We have contacted affected customers by SMS with options including alternative flights, a free move up to 14 days or a travel credit,” Jetstar said.
The budget airline is also offering flexibility on flights for customers who may no longer wish to travel.
Customers booked to travel in or out of the Ballina Byron Bay or Gold Coast (Coolangatta) between Tuesday, 4 March and Sunday 16 March can visit their booking page to review their options.
Jetstar is offering a free date change up to seven days before and up to 14 days after the original travel date or a voucher to the value of untravelled flights.
“We know this will be inconvenient for customers and we thank everyone for their understanding and patience,” the airline added.
“At this stage, flights continue to operate to/from Brisbane, Sunshine Coast and Hervey Bay.”
Qantas has cancelled a number of flights on Wednesday and Thursday from Gold Coast airport, Ballina and Coffs Harbour due to high wind conditions.
Coffs Harbour Airport said in an update on its social media that despite some Qantas flights being cancelled, the airport is operating as normal, but it is advising passengers travelling through its terminal over the coming days to monitor the status of their flights.
The airline is also offering flexibility to customers who have booked flights to or from Ballina, Brisbane, Bundaberg, Coffs Harbour, Gold Coast, Hervey Bay, Lord Howe Island and Maroochydore on or prior to Monday, for travel between Tuesday and Sunday.
Qantas is offering a travel credit or a fee-free date up to 14 days from the original travel date.
Air New Zealand said if its passengers are travelling between now and 9 March to or from an impacted airport in Australia, they can defer their flight without a fee, hold the value of their ticket or change to another one of its destinations by paying the fare difference.
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