http://www.abc.net.au/news/justin/na...sep2003-24.htm
The world's largest organisation representing air traffic controllers has intervened in the dispute over Australia's proposed airspace system, labelling it "high risk".
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association in the US, which represents 15,000 members, says it is annoyed and disappointed at being used as a "selling tool" to justify changes in the Australian system.
The association says it wants to make it clear to the Australian Government that the proposed system does not parallel the US model.
Under the proposed Australian Model light aircraft would be able to use commercial airspace without notifying air traffic control.
Vice president of the US controllers, Ruth Marlin, says they are concerned it will reduce air safety.
"The plan to change airspace from class 'C' to class 'E' is a degradation of the system," Ms Marlin said.
"What we are all working for ... world-wide is to improve the airspace, to build it up, not to eliminate safety systems that we've put in place and that are well tried and tested."
In Australia, the air traffic controllers union, Civil Air, has welcomed the call by their counterparts in the US for the Australian Government to scrap the proposed National Airspace System.
Civil Air's president, Ted Lang, says he is meeting commercial pilots in Sydney today to discuss the next moves in their campaign.
"From the pilots and the controllers view point we feel that this is just reducing travel in Australia to a hit and miss affair," Mr Lang said.
"We've got the safest aviation airways in the world why do we need to mess with it?"
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