From the Australian
Newcastle a defence base, not commercial
Steve Creedy | June 27, 2008
NEWCASTLE Airport is rapidly approaching the point where it will be incapable of absorbing additional commercial operations, the RAAF's incoming deputy chief has warned.
Air Commodore Geoff Brown, who is due to take over as Deputy Chief of Air Force from Air Vice-Marshal John Blackburn, warned at this week's Waypoint conference that commercial interests needed to temper the expectations for the facility.
The comments are another nail in the coffin of a briefly floated NSW proposal to develop Newcastle as a second Sydney airport.
Commercial flights at Newcastle Airport use the the Williamtown RAAF base runway and the air force is becoming increasingly sensitive to additional demands for commercial access. It has seen an escalating number of requests from airlines to expand the operational window allowing civil movements between 6am and 10pm.
Air Commodore Brown said the facility was effectively home to four fighter squadrons, including Hawk lead-in fighter squadron, and these would be joined by No2 squadron operating airborne early warning and control.
It also supported the Forward Air Control Development Unit operating PC9s.
Significant money had been spent recently on expanding Williamtown to support the AEW&C and Hawk facilities.
"As I stated previously, Williamtown is a defence base, established for defence operations," Air Commodore Brown said. "In its present state, like any other air field, it has finite capacity and I believe that we are rapidly approaching the point where the airfield will be incapable of absorbing additional commercial operations."
The NSW report, commissioned by Premier Morris Iemma and compiled by the chairman of Events NSW, John O'Neill, recommended building a fast train service linking Sydney and Newcastle to service an expanded international airport and said the needs of the RAAF would have to be managed appropriately.
Air Commodore Brown said he had no doubt that Williamtown could handle additional traffic if a proposed second runway and necessary terminal infrastructure were developed.
But he said this was an issue for government and warned that any such decision would need a thorough examination of the potential impact of any such development on RAAF operations on the ground and in the air.
"As an example, if Williamtown was to become a major international airport, what expectations would this generate with respect to the development of inbound and outbound air routes, which would necessarily be through areas where we would conduct most of our training.
"I'm of the opinion such an outcome would debilitate our capacity to train and, by extension, have unacceptable and deleterious affect on our operational capacity as an air force."
Air Commodore Brown also warned there was no magic bullet to solve airspace problems involving the need to strike the right balance between commercial interest and the ability of the RAAF to do its job.
He predicted pressures on airspace would increase as new aircraft such as multi-role tanker transport, the AEW&Cs, the Super Hornet and the Joint Strike Fighter came into service.
He warned against the belief that concepts such as flexible use of airspace (FUA) were waiting to be plucked off the shelf.
"Unfortunately, while concepts like FUA could well be achievable in future, there will be a requirement for significant advances in associated technologies, as well as the regulations, standards and procedures needed to underpin any such concept," he said.
I think it's time to move the RAAF base to say Evens Head, and let Newcastle Airport become the regions Second Major International Airport!, If the government has to build and pay for a second airport why not make it one for the RAAF....