boeingbender
15th Sep 2009, 03:01
About time too - I have never seen such a waste of perfectly good airspace anywhere in the world , as the MASSIVE military airspace allocations in Australia.
Military to lose airspace in $300m savings push
EXCLUSIVE: Cameron Stewart and Steve Creedy | September 15, 2009
Article from: The Australian (http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/)
THE Rudd government is seeking to save more than $300 million by merging the nation's civil and military air traffic control systems.
The move would create a unified national air traffic control system for the first time, ending the wasteful separation of the systems and providing the government with a much-needed revenue boost.
The Finance Department has recently been briefed by a joint working group about the possible cost savings of a merged air traffic control system, with a final decision expected to be made early next year.
Transport Minister Anthony Albanese last night confirmed that plans for a merged system were "progressing", but declined to provide details.
A special working group comprising Defence and the government air traffic control manager, Airservices Australia, is working on proposals to unify the two systems.
Attempts to merge the systems in previous years have stalled because Defence feared it would lose tactical and strategic control of its aircraft in times of crisis.
News of the unification came as Virgin Blue signalled it would complain to the federal government about air traffic control delays that forced it to cancel flights and accommodate people in hotels on Sunday after three controllers called in sick.
The unification would remove the historical distinction that has air force air traffic controllers directing military aircraft and civilian controllers directing commercial jets, sometimes from the same airport.
Australia developed separate civil and military air traffic management systems because it was considered necessary to meet the separate specific requirements of civil and military flying.
Defence now has an ageing air traffic system that will soon need replacing at substantial cost, opening the way for cost efficiencies if it adopts the civil system used by Airservices.
Defence has also struggled to retain its air traffic controllers, and last year the government announced a $6m emergency package to prevent RAAF air traffic controllers from being poached by the private sector. In 2005, the RAAF and Airservices set up a program called Genesis to integrate military air traffic control into the civil system, but the plan stalled because of Defence's reservations.
However, in 2002 a Defence document signed by current Australian Defence Force chief Angus Houston stated: "Australia simply cannot justify, sustain or afford to continue operating two almost identical air traffic management systems."
Civil and military systems are merged in many countries, including Britain and Germany.
Virgin Blue is planning to complain to the federal government about air traffic control delays that forced it to cancel flights and accommodate people in hotels on the weekend.
It took airlines until yesterday to get back on schedule as they grappled with the flow-on from delays caused when three air traffic controllers called in sick on Sunday afternoon.
Virgin, which is already seeking $500,000 in compensation for air traffic-related delays suffered during shortages and an industrial dispute last year, last night could not say how much the delays had cost but said it would raise the issue with the government.
"We are still assessing costs relating to the full impact on our operations on Sunday, which include delays causing extra fuel burn, cancellations both in Sydney and other ports due to flow-on effects, and overnight hotel accommodation for stranded guests as well as crews," it said.
"It is certainly disappointing to have this happen yet again when we believed that such issues had been addressed and we were past them."
The loss of the three approach air traffic controllers forced Airservices to more than halve the number of aircraft movements at Sydney from 50 to 22.
Air traffic controllers have warned that the continuing shortage of staff means the problems that caused the delays could happen again.
Civil Air executive secretary Peter McGuane said the number of air traffic controllers retiring and moving overseas meant there was still a shortage of controllers.
"This shortage has plagued air traffic control for some time, and we've got to accept that until that situation is resolved, this will occasionally occur," he said.
Airservices Australia said the breakdown was an anomaly, and denied the organisation was still understaffed. Spokesman Rob Walker said the air navigation provider had an operational requirement for 889 staff and had 908 currently available and 960 on the books. It also had 33 trainees in the final stages of training.
Mr Walker said Airservices had been unable to find other controllers who could cover for the sick staff. He said there were generally six people working on approach control, and to have three sick at once was unusual.
Military to lose airspace in $300m savings push
EXCLUSIVE: Cameron Stewart and Steve Creedy | September 15, 2009
Article from: The Australian (http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/)
THE Rudd government is seeking to save more than $300 million by merging the nation's civil and military air traffic control systems.
The move would create a unified national air traffic control system for the first time, ending the wasteful separation of the systems and providing the government with a much-needed revenue boost.
The Finance Department has recently been briefed by a joint working group about the possible cost savings of a merged air traffic control system, with a final decision expected to be made early next year.
Transport Minister Anthony Albanese last night confirmed that plans for a merged system were "progressing", but declined to provide details.
A special working group comprising Defence and the government air traffic control manager, Airservices Australia, is working on proposals to unify the two systems.
Attempts to merge the systems in previous years have stalled because Defence feared it would lose tactical and strategic control of its aircraft in times of crisis.
News of the unification came as Virgin Blue signalled it would complain to the federal government about air traffic control delays that forced it to cancel flights and accommodate people in hotels on Sunday after three controllers called in sick.
The unification would remove the historical distinction that has air force air traffic controllers directing military aircraft and civilian controllers directing commercial jets, sometimes from the same airport.
Australia developed separate civil and military air traffic management systems because it was considered necessary to meet the separate specific requirements of civil and military flying.
Defence now has an ageing air traffic system that will soon need replacing at substantial cost, opening the way for cost efficiencies if it adopts the civil system used by Airservices.
Defence has also struggled to retain its air traffic controllers, and last year the government announced a $6m emergency package to prevent RAAF air traffic controllers from being poached by the private sector. In 2005, the RAAF and Airservices set up a program called Genesis to integrate military air traffic control into the civil system, but the plan stalled because of Defence's reservations.
However, in 2002 a Defence document signed by current Australian Defence Force chief Angus Houston stated: "Australia simply cannot justify, sustain or afford to continue operating two almost identical air traffic management systems."
Civil and military systems are merged in many countries, including Britain and Germany.
Virgin Blue is planning to complain to the federal government about air traffic control delays that forced it to cancel flights and accommodate people in hotels on the weekend.
It took airlines until yesterday to get back on schedule as they grappled with the flow-on from delays caused when three air traffic controllers called in sick on Sunday afternoon.
Virgin, which is already seeking $500,000 in compensation for air traffic-related delays suffered during shortages and an industrial dispute last year, last night could not say how much the delays had cost but said it would raise the issue with the government.
"We are still assessing costs relating to the full impact on our operations on Sunday, which include delays causing extra fuel burn, cancellations both in Sydney and other ports due to flow-on effects, and overnight hotel accommodation for stranded guests as well as crews," it said.
"It is certainly disappointing to have this happen yet again when we believed that such issues had been addressed and we were past them."
The loss of the three approach air traffic controllers forced Airservices to more than halve the number of aircraft movements at Sydney from 50 to 22.
Air traffic controllers have warned that the continuing shortage of staff means the problems that caused the delays could happen again.
Civil Air executive secretary Peter McGuane said the number of air traffic controllers retiring and moving overseas meant there was still a shortage of controllers.
"This shortage has plagued air traffic control for some time, and we've got to accept that until that situation is resolved, this will occasionally occur," he said.
Airservices Australia said the breakdown was an anomaly, and denied the organisation was still understaffed. Spokesman Rob Walker said the air navigation provider had an operational requirement for 889 staff and had 908 currently available and 960 on the books. It also had 33 trainees in the final stages of training.
Mr Walker said Airservices had been unable to find other controllers who could cover for the sick staff. He said there were generally six people working on approach control, and to have three sick at once was unusual.