Transportation
Qantas Delays Flights Amid Falling Debris From SpaceX Rockets
SpaceX expects as many as 400 launches of its new Starship vehicle over the next four years.
Photographer: Brandon Bell/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
Qantas Airways Ltd. has been forced to delay some flights between Australia and South Africa in recent weeks following a warning from the US government about SpaceX rocket debris reentering the Earth’s atmosphere over the Southern Indian Ocean.
Recent rocket launches have changed their timing at short notice, which in turn has forced Qantas to postpone flights right before departure, Ben Holland, the head of the airline’s operations center, said in a statement on Tuesday. The flight delays have lasted for as long as six hours and have affected journeys between Johannesburg and Sydney.