AFL Grand Final travel disruption as Lions fans contend with flight cancellations

Brisbane Lions fans traveling to the AFL Grand Final faced travel disruption as multiple flights from Brisbane to Melbourne were canceled on Thursday and Friday, complicating plans ahead of the match scheduled for 2:30 p.m. local time on Saturday. Brisbane Airport expects about 119,000 passengers to pass through over the next two days as supporters of the reigning premiers head to Victoria for the AFL's showpiece event.

Jetstar canceled its 6:30 a.m. Thursday flight from Brisbane to Melbourne, according to a passenger cited by The Courier Mail. The passenger said the text notification arrived at 10:30 p.m. the night before, leaving travelers with little time to adjust plans. Jetstar said the cancellation was due to engineering issues, and that affected customers were offered alternative flights. The earliest available option for many was a 9:30 a.m. Saturday departure, leaving little time to reach the Grand Final before its 2:30 p.m. kickoff. Jetstar later said the cancellation was proactively made due to unscheduled maintenance on the aircraft.

Qantas canceled multiple Brisbane-to-Melbourne services, including the 6:00 a.m. Thursday flight and the 12:15 p.m. Thursday flight, and the 1:20 p.m. Friday service, with a spokesman saying the aircraft was undergoing additional engineering maintenance. The airline said engineers were working through a complex issue and that customers booked on those flights were being rebooked onto other services, with many set to arrive in Melbourne on Friday ahead of the game.

Jetstar, meanwhile, said its cancellation notice was issued because of unscheduled maintenance required on the aircraft and added that all impacted customers were offered alternatives within six hours of their original departure time. The carrier stressed that safety remains the top priority.

The Lions have already arrived in Melbourne ahead of Saturday's Grand Final, which is set for 2:30 p.m. local time, a development that comes as travel disruptions cast a shadow over the weekend for fans hoping to attend the showpiece match.

Beyond the immediate headaches for travelers, industry observers note that airlines have been under scrutiny for fares and availability during Grand Final weekends, underscoring the broader travel pressure events of this scale exert on air networks.