I have seen no news of a delay and the Airservices website still contains the following statement (my underlining):
"Airservices is proposing to first introduce the enhanced traffic service at Ballina and Mangalore on 17 June 2021"
I am not sure who writes this stuff for Airservices, but I have to assume it is authorised by the Executive General Manager Air Traffic Services (circa $500,000/per year) and the Chief Executive Officer (circa $800,000/per year). So let us consider the steps involved in no particular order:
- Airservices completes consultation and presents an Airspace Change Proposal (ACP) to CASA OAR
- CASA OAR studies ACP conducts consultation and presents a recommendation to CASA management
- CASA management approves change and Airservices commences documentation amendments (when is the next RAPAC date, or shall we just issue an enormous NOTAM?)
- (During this time Airservices having assumed approval have been busy sectorising the airspace, developing procedures, and training the controllers)
- Landrum & Brown need to wind up the Ballina CA/GRS contract (Part 139) with Ballina Airport, Airservices needs to present a charging regime (Part 172) for pilots using the new services
- Alternatively, both services could operate side by side!
- Airservices then present a safety case to CASA (Concept, Design, Implementation? Oh what the heck, CASA don't know the difference, just send them something really heavy)
- CASA ATM inspectors then need to audit the AFIS operations at Ballina and Mangalore, before operating certificates are signed and presented to Airservices
Clearly, I am missing something! How could the two most highly paid federal ATM bureaucrats have thought that these processes could be done, dusted, and in place by 17th June 2021? (I have even given them a free pass on their internal planning and training requirements)
Does anybody know the answer?