Airport Chaos, Greenacre Shooting and US Troops for WA

Sydney Airport descended into chaos as entrenched air traffic control staff shortages triggered cascading delays across dozens of Qantas and Virgin flights, leaving planloads of passengers stranded on the tarmac with no clear departure time in sight.

Airlines for Australia labelled the situation catastrophic. Passengers bound for international destinations, including Hong Kong, reported waits stretching well beyond 90 minutes. One traveller described the experience as ridiculous, particularly for frequent flyers who depend on reliable schedules.

The disruption follows a near-miss incident at the airport the previous day, in which two aircraft came perilously close to colliding on the tarmac. Sources familiar with the matter attributed that incident directly to chronic understaffing at Air Services Australia. When the organisation's chief executive was pressed by media, he acknowledged the gravity of the problem. Authorities warned the knock-on effects would ripple through airports nationally throughout the day.

In Sydney's south-west, police launched a search for a gunman after an 18-year-old was shot twice in the chest on Banksia Road in Greenacre shortly after nine o'clock Wednesday night. The victim and a friend had arranged to meet a man who arrived at the scene in a black Hilux ute. During the encounter, the driver produced a handgun and opened fire before fleeing the area.

The injured teenager and his companion drove to a nearby street and called for emergency assistance. Paramedics treated him at the scene before transporting him to Liverpool Hospital, where he remained in care. Several hours later, the black Hilux was found burnt out in Granville. Crime scene investigators worked through the night at the Greenacre location and returned the following morning. The victim is understood to have known links to an organised crime family and is not cooperating with police, consistent with a targeted attack.

On the national security front, more than 2,000 United States military personnel and their families are expected to be stationed in Western Australia before the end of the year. The Albanese government rejected suggestions the arrangement amounts to a permanent American base on Australian soil, describing it instead as a rotation central to delivering the AUKUS submarine partnership. An $8 billion investment is upgrading HMAS Stirling near Perth to accommodate the expanded presence, part of the trilateral framework agreed between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Meanwhile, the indecent assault trial of radio veteran Alan Jones continued at Sydney's Downing Centre, with a key complainant returning to the witness box for a fifth day. The defence challenged the consistency of his account, suggesting elements of his testimony were shaped by media coverage rather than direct recollection — an assertion the witness firmly rejected.