Delays into Melbourne Thursday evening 25th October
Any pilots out there get delayed this evening into Melbourne? Up to, and over 30min delays, the reason……..staff shortage in the tower, with no replacement available. Thousands of people would have been affected. Me thinks it may have been tower people starting to show some ‘grip’ (refusal) to Airservices in result to their incapability to manage staffing numbers. How ironic that Richard Dudley (General Manager Corporate Affairs) was on hand in the centre to see it for himself!
If you think that was bad, wait till airspace is closed when they start reducing numbers on the nightshift to single manned. Controllers will refuse to work, a) because their fatigue will skyrocket, and b) Airservices’ way of ensuring a break is had, is to have a controller from different airspace, different stream (approach or enroute) give a 20min break! Not only is this unsafe, it down right stupid, think Uberlingen – Swiss Mid Air, and the associated findings in employing dual manned coverage. If you want to see / read more http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=296753