Qantas has had to delay several flights between Sydney and Johannesburg in recent weeks due to falling debris from SpaceX rockets in the southern Indian Ocean.
The airline said last-minute changes to the location and timing of SpaceX’s Falcon rocket re-entries had caused these delays, which could last up to six hours, reports Reuters.
“While we try to make any changes to our schedule in advance, the timing of recent launches has moved around at late notice, which has meant we’ve had to delay some flights just prior to departure,” said Ben Holland, head of the Qantas Operations Centre.
Holland said the airline was in contact with SpaceX to refine entry zones and time frames, with the aim of reducing future disruption.
The 134 Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets, which carry both satellites and humans into space, often target the southern Indian Ocean for re-entry due to its remoteness. While the most expensive parts of the rocket are reusable, some components burn on re-entry, resulting in debris that poses a potential risk.
“Customers generally understand that this is outside of the airline’s control and that we can’t fly in the area when a rocket re-entry is taking place,” said Holland.
