Perth Airport flights cancelled as refuelling issue grounds planes ...

A refuelling issue at Perth Airport has grounded domestic and international flights on Saturday morning, throwing the weekend travel plans of thousands into chaos.

At least 30 departures have been delayed or cancelled, as well as at least 40 arriving flights.

Both domestic and international flights are affected.

The disruption has extended to airports around the country and internationally.

At least six flights from Sydney to Perth have been cancelled, as have five flights from Perth to Sydney, while in Melbourne at least eight flights are affected.

It's understood passengers are also stranded in Doha waiting to get to Perth.

More than a dozen flights have been cancelled at Perth Airport on Saturday as the airport deals with a refuelling problem. (ABC News: Rebecca Trigger)

Perth Airport said a problem with load pressure in the fuel lines was causing the issue.

"Further cancellations are expected and in-bound flights which have not already left their departure points will also be impacted," a spokesperson said in a statement.

"Airlines have been advised not to send aircraft to Perth Airport until further notice unless they have sufficient fuel to make a return flight."

It's understood some flights have been delayed since Friday night, leaving thousands of passengers stranded.

Passengers wait at Perth Airport, where all flights have been cancelled due to a refuelling problem.  (ABC News: Rebecca Trigger)

The airport said the issue was having "a major impact on operations" and it urged passengers to contact their airlines for further information.

It said "local experts" were working to resolve the issue.

At least four flights have been diverted to regional airports, the ABC understands, including a Philippines Airlines flight from Manila to Perth that landed in Geraldton earlier on Saturday.

Geraldton is about 420 kilometres north of Perth.

This Philippines Airlines flight from Manila to Perth was forced to divert to Geraldton thanks to the refuelling issues at Perth Airport. (ABC News: Piper Duffy)

A Geraldton Airport spokesperson said a second international flight was expected later today, but the small regional airport could only assist with a handful of flights due to having limited fuel supply themselves. 

Passengers on the Philippines flight have not been allowed to disembark and a biosecurity representative is on site. 

City of Geraldton chief executive Ross McKim said Geraldton Airport was in danger of running out of fuel. 

"Our fuel stocks are designed for the few flights that we get not for half-a-dozen international large planes," he said.

"So it won't be long before we run out of fuel as well."

Mr McKim said the Philippines flight took a quarter of the airport's fuel capacity.

"The [airport's] refuelling isn't booked until mid-next week so we're going to have to work out how to get some up sooner than that," he said.

This Virgin fight from Sydney to Perth landed in Kalgoorlie because of the refuelling problem at Perth Airport. (ABC News: Giulia Bertoglio)

Qantas flight QFA10 from London to Perth is being diverted to Karratha, in the state's far north, where it's expected to land later this morning.

It's believed other flights are being diverted to Kalgoorlie, about 600km east of Perth.

"Perth Airport apologises for inconvenience to passengers and our airline partners," the airport spokesperson said.

Perth man Campbell Grieves and Swiss exchange student Zander Goosen arrived at the airport early to catch a flight to Sydney.

"We were taking (Zander) to see all the classic Aussie things in Sydney … the bridge, the Opera House," Mr Grieves said.

Travellers Campbell Grieves (right) and Zander Goosen had hoped to get to Sydney for a sightseeing visit, but the fuel problem has up ended their plans.(ABC News: Rebecca Trigger)

"We get here at about 6am and we get on the plane, boarded alright, then we sat there in the little economy seat for two hours.

"The captain was ringing every in hour saying 'dunno where the fuel is,' eventually we get kicked off the plane and the flight is cancelled." 

Mr Grieves said he had been told the earliest he and Mr Goosen could travel to Sydney was Monday.

The queue for information about flights at Perth Airport stretched a long way. (ABC News: Rebecca Trigger)

Perth resident Stephen Herbert is stranded in Doha, where he was meant to stop briefly en route from London to Perth on Qatar Airlines.

"We have been in a line with other returning Aussies for nearly four hours," he said.

"No official from Qatar Airlines has given us any updates and we are relying on social media."

He was scathing of Perth Airport over the delays.

"There's no way you can call Perth an international airport after this debacle. Imagine if this happened at Heathrow?" he said.

Another passenger in Doha, Rae de Wet, told the ABC a delay of more than 24 hours was expected before they could get back to Perth, but little information had been provided.

She said she had already been in transit for more than 30 hours since leaving South Africa.

More flights are expected to be cancelled as the airport deals with a refuelling issue.(Supplied: Elisa Uyen)

"It is incomprehensible that an international airport could face an issue of this nature, embarrassing really especially on an international scale," she said.

At Sydney Airport, Perth man Steven Dipane said his son had been at a baseball tournament in Lismore and he was trying to head home.

"They're going to book us in to a room for the night, and then get us on a plane to Melbourne tomorrow and then to Perth.

"It just delays it. I would have liked to be home tonight." 

Virgin Airlines apologised to customers in a statement handed to passengers at Perth Airport, but said it was not required by law to provide compensation "for delays or cancellations outside of our control".

"We recommend you contact your travel insurance provider to assist you with any unforeseen expenses," the statement said.

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