Alice Springs Airport - Tower closing due staffing levels.
 

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....f8bad0fe0.jpeg
I notice that most weekends now the tower at Alice Springs closes either all day or for various periods during the day.

If Airservices Australia has more than enough controllers then what is the problem?

Jet airline traffic having the layers of safety removed again because of lack of controllers.

If only the media were interested in exploring safety issues before an accident and not wait until afterwards.

A few years back a separation incident involving a Tiger A320 outside tower hours basically terminated their Alice Springs flights due to safety issues.

Here’s hoping nothing happens these days. Plenty of GA operating in and out of YBAS at all hours of the day and night, mixing with RPT

AsA doesn't have enough controllers. Large chunks of en-route airspace now either TIBA or "expect delays due operational constraints". If AsA say there's no staffing problems that's just PR spin.

The cause is the same as the rest of the industry. Management cutting resources to the bone and when things get busy they don't have the staff needed.

Is it no surprise two other top threads on this forum at the moment are about ATC inadequacies and problems?

Not only Alice. Try Albury, Avalon and Parafield - "TWR ATS NOT AVBL DUE OPERATIONAL RESTRICTIONS", various days, various times.

So where are the professional associations that represent pilots appearing at press conferences denouncing Airservices Australia and the compromising of safety?

Where are the groups of CP - HOFO - MFO doing the same, demanding the government fix this before there is a serious incident or worse?

The apathy and lack of media interest is pathetic.

I heard that a majority of the population of Alice Springs were abandoning the town due to a huge crime wave. Not surprised there is no staff there.

Comments are closed off. I wonder why?

I thought they were downsizing
 

After waiting a few months about a job I applied for with them, I was then told “due to a recent review of our business operational needs this role is no longer required and recruitment for this position has now been withdrawn.”

"We're there".....unless we're understaffed and undermanned.

Airservices’s staffing issues are not confined to one town. They’re having issues staffing positions all across the country, including enroute centres based in capital cities.

Good news for those who went overseas- the germans are getting a 21% payrise.

Welcome to the real world mates, been happening in Pommy Land for years.

Q)EGTT/QAEXX/IV/NBO/AE/000/055/5050N00132W023
B)2303260630 C)2306262145
E)SOLENT CTA AND SOUTHAMPTON CTR/ATZ OPERATING HOURS ARE-
MON-SAT 0530-2100
SUN 0630-2100
OUTSIDE OF THESE HOURS, SOUTHAMPTON CTR AND ALL SOLENT CTA WILL BE
DEACTIVATED AND RECLASSIFIED CLASS G. TO FACILITATE ATC BREAKS ATS
MAY NOT BE AVAILABLE. SERVICE AVAILABILITY WILL BE TACTICALLY
MANAGED TO ACCOMODATE SCHEDULED MOVEMENTS.

Phew

It must be ok then

"ACCOMODATE"?

No, "ACCOMMODATE". Saving letters in NOTAMs due to staff shortages.

Saw that when I posted, it's indicative of the current UK situation with cost cutting in NATS (our primary ATS/AIM provider) and our CAA, the latter not only having staffing issues but is also now showing signs of "pay peanuts- get monkeys". Maybe life in the aviation industry in Oz isn't in quite such a bad state?

Very difficult to get circuits at Jandakot now, even on the parallels they are only allowing 2 aircraft due to "operational restrictions" and sometimes "Circuits not available" it's ridiculous.

Strewth, sounds as if you have the same problem as we do up here, they don't make controllers as they used to!

Jandakot - when I was ab-initio in a little red PA-28, there was often up to six aircraft in the circuit.
Now I go to my hangar to do stuff and feel lucky to hear 1 zooming about of a weekend.

As we know in the land down under it's not just Alice (enough of the song puns!) :Air traffic controller shortage disrupts major tourist gateway of Ballina-Byron Bay

Byron Gateway Airport has raised concerns with Airservices about staffing issues, saying they are damaging their reputation.

• EXCLUSIVE

By ROBYN IRONSIDE

AVIATION WRITER

@ironsider

• 5:07PM JUNE 20, 2023
• 15 COMMENTS

“Unacceptable” staff shortages in air traffic control have been blasted by one airport chief, who has told Airservices Australia the situation is damaging their business reputation.

In a letter to Airservices seen by The Australian, Ballina-Byron Bay Gateway Airport chief executive Julie Stewart said airlines were delaying flights in response to “consistent interruptions to surveillance flight information service (SFIS) staffing hours”.

“These delays are being explained to travelling passengers as ‘Ballina airspace closures’ when in fact the airlines (Jetstar and Virgin Australia) appear to be delaying flights to Ballina-Byron Bay or departing the airport, to ensure SFIS is on duty,” Ms Stewart wrote.

“This situation is considered unacceptable as there are no exceptional circumstances for these shortfalls that is being explained to us or the airlines.”

On time performance data for April showed more than a third of flights leaving the popular tourist gateway departed late, and 32.8 per cent arrived more than 15 minutes behind schedule.

The airport’s concerns followed an Australian Transport Safety Bureau report on a sharp increase in complaints from air traffic controllers about staff shortages, particularly at busy Sydney Airport.

READ MORE: Jetstar’s big change to network | Rex halts trade on ASX amid fleet woes

The ATSB noted that it had received a “large number of reports” from air traffic controllers in the past four months, compared to just one in the last five years.

“Fifteen of those reports have come from Sydney,” the ATSB said.

The complaints received through a confidential reporting scheme expressed “grave concerns” about the safety of air traffic control procedures out of Sydney.

One complaint said, “I can no longer sit back and watch the unsafe procedures and management practices taking place at Airservices Australia, particularly in the Sydney traffic control unit”.

“When highlighted that rules and procedures are being broken, the rules and procedures are changed with the stroke of a pen by unqualified people to give the appearance of compliance,” the report said.

Another said Airservices had “eroded the collective experience level of the controllers in Sydney by paying many to leave”.

“This has left a significant void in our knowledge base. The list of misgivings is so long it’s hard to articulate. It’s overwhelming the way management is mitigating away safety standards and training requirements for staff,” the report said.

The ATSB noted the Civil Aviation Safety Authority had conducted surveillance at the Sydney TCU in response to the concerns, and found there was a lack of supervision.

“CASA continues to work with the service provider on their planned actions to rectify noncompliance with (the regulation relating to supervisory personnel),” said CASA’s response.

Airservices denied there was a staff shortage in Sydney, saying there were 47 operational air traffic controllers employed, which was the number required under their workforce plan.

The government-owned agency acknowledged there had been higher levels of staff absence due to illness which had been managed through increased overtime shifts, and “various traffic management procedures”.

Air traffic controllers are entitled to unlimited sick leave in recognition of the fact they always need to be fit for duty in high stress situations.Things have changed since our day; back then it was the reverse, trying to force us to work while sick.

On June 9, staff shortages at Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne airports saw one in five Qantas flights delayed, and disruption to other airlines’ schedules.

On the same day, the airspace around Ballina-Byron Bay was closed for 90 minutes due to the lack of staff.

Qantas now routinely texted passengers to inform them their flight was delayed due to air traffic control staff shortages.

Virgin Australia confirmed the airline had experienced disruption on some services to Ballina due to workforce issues at Airservices Australia.

In response, Virgin undertook risk assessments before going ahead with flights to ensure the airspace was completely safe.

Staff shortages at Airservices have even caught the attention of Federal Transport Minister Catherine King, who recently took up the issue with chairman John Weber.

A recruitment drive was launched shortly afterwards to alleviate pressure on hot spots, with the aim of hiring 80 air traffic controllers by mid-2024.

On Tuesday, an Airservices Australia spokeswoman acknowledged there had been “service variations” at Ballina-Byron Bay due to unplanned sick leave among staff. Since nobody plans to be sick, this has to be read as a management failing – not planning staffing provisions effectively.

“Airservices is enhancing its service resilience by recruiting more than 50 air traffic control trainees nationwide in the next three months to add further depth to our ATC rosters,” said the spokeswoman.

“This also includes four new air traffic controllers to service Ballina airspace.”


Recruiting only solves the problem after 3-5 years and then only if the true number of staff required is acknowledged and the level of recruiting is retained until the shortfall is properly addressed and then continues at a rate which addresses to retirement rate. Recruiting trained controllers from elsewhere is a short sighted and parochial approach.

As attached, not just an Australian issue or one confined to civil organisations.

They laid off a lot of the best ones back in the early 2000s, that's when they decided to reduce the tower hours and have a former controller as a CA/GRO instead, so people who can't read the ERSA were so used to his voice they thought he was still a controller...it took one to land on top of another one before someone realised that the operators were right when they said it wasn't safe.

I suppose the next step will be to close it altogether and as most pilots operating out of Jandakot still can't read the ERSA, you will often find yourself face to face with someone on base.

At least if they close the tower you wouldn't have to send all your students home on the first sunny day for a week because of their ridiculous "operational restrictions". Gone are the days when a packet of TimTams would help you get a place in a busy circuit!

(Little red PA28 is still going strong :)

I'd love to see a copy of these risk assessments. After all, the SFIS didn't help when a VA 737 had a 'separation occurrence' with a C208. So even the most optimistic of risk assessors couldn't say that BNA is completely safe for RPT ops, let alone when there is no controller.

Not to mention the SFIS controller is in Brisbane! It's not like it is a CAGRO who is on-field by themself and might go to the dunny or off sick, I'd hope that if a SFIS controller in BN Centre can't man their post there is someone else there that can...evidently not.

Isn't there some sort of casa directive to have BNA APP there by Dec 2023 and also a TWR by June 2024 ?

Yeah here it is casa bna airspace review Dec 22

Recommendation 7
As an interim action pending the completion of Recommendation 8, CASA should make a
determination to establish a control area around Ballina Byron Gateway Airport with a base which
is as low as possible, and direct AA to provide services within the control area. The services should
be provided during all periods of scheduled Air Transport Operations and include an Approach
Control Service to aircraft operating under the Instrument Flight Rules (IFR), separation between
IFR aircraft, VFR traffic information to all aircraft, and sequencing of all aircraft to and from the
runway. CASA and AA should jointly explore opportunities to detect non-cooperative aircraft or
vehicles in the immediate vicinity of the runway. The services should be established as soon as
practicable but no later than 30 November 2023.

Recommendation 8
CASA should make a determination that Ballina Byron Gateway Airport will become a controlled
aerodrome with an associated control zone and control area, and direct Airservices Australia (AA)
to provide an Aerodrome Control Service1
to the aerodrome. That service should be established as
soon as practicable but no later than 13 June 2024.

Recommendation 9
CASA should prepare and finalise an Airspace Change Proposal (ACP) for a control zone and
control area steps in preparation for the implementation of Recommendations 7 and 8.

I thought that what happened to those recommendations, once they were leaked and CASA realised how stupid it looked for CASA to be making recommendations to CASA, is that they were amended. Is my recollection inaccurate?

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....8331b0764.jpeg

I am planning to write to the minister about this. A waste of time probably but she needs to know that she may be the minister left holding the baby when there is a coming together of aircraft in Australian airspace. If it prompts her to ask some difficult questions of CASA and AsA that will be an achievement.

initially it came out with dates that were 6 months earlier than those above.
kinda weird how its written it would appear that AsA can't do 7 or 8 until casa has done 9 ? Go figure !

If you go to this thread, you will see that Australian Flying quoted the original CASA OAR report’s nine recommendations, including this one:

Quote:

---

7. As an interim action pending the completion of Recommendation 8, CASA should demand CTA around Ballina with a base which is as low as possible. …

---

The words “should demand CTA” were subsequently airbrushed and replaced with “make a determination to establish a control area”.

It appears that even the geniuses involved in what’s laughably called airspace ‘management’ in Australia realised that it looked pretty stupid for CASA to recommend that CASA demand that CASA do something.

Yes, minister.

High School Services
 

Is there a party on this weekend that we’re not invited to or is it just me…:ugh:

B0040/23 NOTAMN
A) YMAV
B) 2306232100
C) 2306251200
D) DAILY 2100/2300 0200/0300 0800/1200
E) TWR ATS NOT AVBLDUE TO OPERATIONAL RESTRICTIONSPROCEDURES IN ENROUTE SUPPLEMENT AUSTRALIA (ERSA), FAC, AVALONOPERATIONS OUTSIDE TWR HR APPLY

B0409/23 NOTAMN
Q)YMMM/QSTXX/IV/BO/E/000/025/3802S14428E012
A) YMMM
B) 2306232100
C) 2306251200
D) DAILY 2100/2300 0200/0300 0800/1200
E) AVALON TWR ATS NOT AVBL DUE OPERATIONAL RESTRICTIONSAVALON CLASS D AIRSPACE BECOMES CLASS G FROM SFC TO 700FT AND CLASS E FROM 700FT TO 2500FT AS PER EN ROUTE SUP AUSTRALIA (ERSA)AVALON - ATS AIRSPACE - OUTSIDE TWR HRFIS AVBL MELBOURNE CENTRE 135.70COMMON TFC ADVISORY FREQ (CTAF) 120.
F) SFC
G) 2500FT AMSL

B0045/23 NOTAMN
A) YBAS
B) 2306232230
C) 2306250830
D) DAILY 2230/0830
E) YBAS TWR ATS NOT AVBLDUE TO OPERATIONAL RESTRICTIONSALICE SPRINGS CLASS C AND CLASS D AIRSPACE BELOW FL125 BECOMES CLASSG AIRSPACE - CLASS C AIRSPACE FL125 TO FL245 BECOMES CLASS E AIRSPACEAS PER EN ROUTE SUPPLEMENT AUSTRALIA ALICE SPRINGS - ATS AIRSPACE - OUTSIDE TOWER HRCOMMON TRAFFIC ADVISORY FREQUENCY 118.3

B0410/23 NOTAMN
A) YMMM
B) 2306232230
C) 2306250830
D) DAILY 2230/0830
E) ALICE SPRINGS (YBAS) TWR ATS NOT AVBL DUE OPERATIONAL RESTRICTIONS ALICE SPRINGS CLASS C AND CLASS D AIRSPACE BELOW FL125 BECOMES CLASSG AIRSPACE - CLASS C AIRSPACE FL125 TO FL245 BECOMES CLASS E AIRSPACE - AS PER EN ROUTE SUPPLEMENT AUSTRALIA ALICE SPRINGS - ATS AIRSPACE - OUTSIDE TWR HR.FIS AVBL MELBOURNE CENTRE 119.8COMMON TFC ADVISORY FREQ (CTAF) 118.3
F) SFC
G) FL125

B0072/23 NOTAMN
A) YMAY
B) 2306232300
C) 2306251030
D) 2306232300 TO 2306240700 2306242300 TO 2306251030
E) TWR ATS NOT AVBL DUE OPERATIONAL RESTRICTIONSALBURY CLASS C AND D AIRSPACE BECOMES CLASS G AS PER EN ROUTESUPPLEMENT AUSTRALIA ALBURY - ATS AIRSPACE - OUTSIDE TWR HRCOMMON TRAFFIC ADVISORY FREQUENCY FREQ 123.25

B0411/23 NOTAMN
A) YMMM
B) 2306232300
C) 2306251030
D) 2306232300 TO 2306240700 2306242300 TO 2306251030
E) ALBURY TWR ATS NOT AVBL DUE OPERATIONAL RESTRICTIONSALBURY CLASS C AND D AIRSPACE BECOMES CLASS G AS PER EN ROUTESUPPLEMENT AUSTRALIA ALBURY - ATS AIRSPACE - OUTSIDE TWR HRFIS AVBL MELBOURNE CENTRE 125.2COMMON TRAFFIC ADVISORY FREQUENCY 123.25
F) SFC
G) 8500FT AMSL

B0015/23 NOTAMN
A) YPKA
B) 2306240615
C) 2306250345
D) 2306240615 TO 2306240645 2306250000 TO 2306250345
E) TWR ATS NOT AVBL DUE OPERATIONAL RESTRICTIONSKARRATHA CLASS D AIRSPACE BECOMES CLASS G SFC TO 5500FT AMSL AS PEREN ROUTE SUPPLEMENT AUSTRALIA YPKA - ATS AIRSPACE - OUTSIDE TWR HRCOMMON TRAFFIC ADVISORY FREQUENCY FREQ 127.35

B0412/23 NOTAMN
A) YMMM
B) 2306240615
C) 2306250345
D) 2306240615 TO 2306240645 2306250000 TO 2306250345
E) KARRATHA (YPKA) TWR ATS NOT AVBL DUE OPERATIONAL RESTRICTIONSKARRATHA CLASS D AIRSPACE BECOMES CLASS G SFC TO 5500FT AMSL AS PEREN ROUTE SUPPLEMENT AUSTRALIA YPKA - ATS AIRSPACE - OUTSIDE TWR HRFIS AVBL MELBOURNE CENTRE 122.4COMMON TRAFFIC ADVISORY FREQUENCY 127.35
F) SFC
G) 5500FT AMSL

An absolute bloody disgrace.

But the workforce plan says that everything is ok!




At some stage, surely, they have to accept thet their workforce plan isn't worth the paper it's printed on. If only they'd look outside their own office.

What an absolute disgrace this country has become…. Probably all somewhere for an inclusivity and diversity conference…. Possibly a presentation on “the voice to parliament and it’s importance to air traffic services”

"we're there, like air"

Yep, and perhaps throw in the Ministerial directive from August 2004 "Provision of approach radar services at specific airports".

Its all purely because ASA management has always believed the job can be done with less people, Covid was the green light to take risks they never would’ve any other time. Obviously this was never the case and what your seeing now is the result of the decision to make large numbers of ATCs redundant. They have now gone on a large training and hiring drive but it will take 10 years to get numbers to where they need to be.
Unfortunately we have a transport minister who seems uninterested in actually doing anything. She recently received a letter from a local Federal member in her own party in Sydney telling her he believes they are some big problems in ASA and could see meet with certain union members. Her response was she has spoken to ASA and they have assured her they are fixing it. Wouldn’t even allocate 30mins to hear from them. I feel sorry for industry but nothings going to get better for a long time.

With WSI,1SKY and SY TCU move to ML all by 2026 one wonders how much worse this will get ?

Much much worse! They only just acknowledged there will be a requirement for more controllers at SYD TCU with the opening of WSA! This is all supposed to happen in the same year it’s meant to be moved!

My money is on WSI being the only thing that will happen in 2026.

WSI will be like the 3rd runway at Sydney. SACL built the runway on-time (or early) and AsA won't be ready for it (Sydney Tower operated the 3rd runway from the Old Tower because the shiny new slippery dip Tower wasn't ready).

With BN's parallel runway, AsA worked to their schedule and told BACL not to open early. I think with WSI there is too much a stake for there to be an operational delay.

It's all based on numbers. It's a bit like a flying organisation that operates 6 different aircraft types, and one or 2 of the pilots can fly all 6 types. One of these multi endorsed pilots with 1000's of hours resigns or retires and is replaced by a low hours pilot with a single endorsement. Pilot numbers are unchanged.

Same, same with ATC. Towers and TCUs have ATC's with multiple endorsements and they are being replaced with ATCs with just a single traffic endorsement. And the experience that went out the door with RIS (redundancies) was staggeringly high - most ATCs had 30+ years experience. Experience in complex weather and traffic patterns, experience in saying "NO" as appropriate and experience being able to safely regulate traffic when required.

After doing some jet flying around the states to many different airports the level of service amazes me.

Straya………..