Sydney siege: Terror alert not raised, flights operating as normal

Sydney airport said there are no delays on flights in and out, though some are taking a different route over the city.

Channel 7 / AP Channel 7 / AP / AP

A HOSTAGE SITUATION in Sydney is ongoing this morning, with a man warning that he has four bombs planted around the city.

At a busy time for travel all around the world, and with many hoping to leave or enter Sydney to get home for the holidays, people have been expressing their concern about the impact it may have on their travel plans and, more importantly, if they will be safe.

Not the best day to be in sydney, I wonder if my flight will be delayed home :/
— Alison Cartwright (@al_cartwright) December 15, 2014

Alison Cartwright / Twitter

Parents flight from sydney to melbourne might be delayed bc of this sydney siege thing jaaaysus
— beej (@phlabeeboo) December 15, 2014

phoebe mcgrath / Twitter

Hope the #sydneysiege ends today and I hope no casualties. And i hope for a safe flight back home frm sydney tmr
— Blackboi 98 (@Navindranshadow) December 15, 2014

Stressedboi 98 / Twitter

Just abit of a coincidence that i'm waiting for a flight to sydney. Has nobody heard the news today.. Do you not feel like you should panic
— Phippsey (@CurtPhipps) December 15, 2014

Captain Curt / Twitter

Whoops!

We couldn't find this Tweet

As yet, the government in Australia has not raised the terror alert further, as the incident has not been confirmed as a terrorism related event. In September this year, the government raiser the alert from medium to high, however, meaning an attack on home soil was considered likely.

Sydney Airport said today flights are not affected by the hostage situation. In a statement, it said it wanted to reassure the public that the airport remains open and fully operational. Though the terror alert has not been raised, the airport said safety and security are its highest priorities and it is working closely with authorities to monitor the situation and put contingency plans in place.

The airspace around the city has not been shut down but Quantas said some flights are taking a different route to avoid flying over the business centre, where the incident is taking place. However this had not been causing delays in and out of the airport.

Read: Five people escape Sydney siege but gunman still has hostages>

Making a difference

A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

For the price of one cup of coffee each week you can make sure we can keep reliable, meaningful news open to everyone regardless of their ability to pay.

Support us Learn More