New air traffic control project stall prompts fears of flight delays and cancellations
A MAJOR delay in the upgrading of Australia’s air traffic control system has sparked fears of major flight delays and cancellations.
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AIR passengers across Australia are at risk of suffering delays and cancellations to their flights with Airservices and the Defence Department stalling on signing onto a new joint national civilian-military air traffic control system.
The air industry has warned the chaos seen last September that delayed flights nationally from a Sydney Airport air traffic systems fail was just the beginning of what was going to beset air services capacity to handle growing air traffic particularly with notable new runway and airport projects underway in Melbourne, Queensland, Sunshine Coast, Perth and Sydney.
The need for a new air traffic control system was recognised in 2011 with a contract for a new system, known as OneSky from French aerospace group Thales, discussed in 2015 and due for signing in that year. Last August Airservices said it was “99 per cent ready to go” to sign a contract.
But six months on and costs have blown out to more than $1 billion as Airservices and Defence, joint stakeholders in the project to cover both civilian and military airports, bicker as to who should foot the growing bill. Defence had only budgeted $244 million for its share of the contract and Airservices $652 million.
It is understood federal Cabinet’s National Security Committee has been told of the critical budget shortfall and the project’s been listed on Defence’s “Projects of Concern” list, also known as “shame file” demanding priority government intervention of the “national significant” issue.
Australian Airports Association Chief Executive Caroline Wilkie said without a solution the nation risked limiting aviation growth and “a constrain” on the economy.
“In terms of consumer implications, interruptions to the network could include delays and cancellations if the existing system is unable to meet demand, which could have an impact on passengers,” she told News Corp Australia.
“Our major airports are investing significantly in the future, delivering improvements that facilitate more passengers, provide new trade opportunities and continue to grow our visitor economy. We must have safe, reliable and efficient systems in place to make the most of that investment and ensure the Australian economy reaps the rewards of this work.”
Even if the project began tomorrow it would not be fully operational until 2025 at the earliest.
Airservices Australia said it hoped a contract could be signed by the first quarter of 2018 and an advanced work order meant the system design could progress while contract negotiations continued.
A spokeswoman dismissed suggestions the current system was not up to the task or would cause delays but looked forward to a new system.
“The integrated joint civil-military system is a world-first, and will deliver significant safety and efficiency benefits to the airline industry and the travelling public,” she said.
Qantas wouldn’t comment directly on potential flight delays.
“The Qantas Group is supportive of reforms to improve air traffic control while
maintaining safe and reliable operations for passengers,” a spokesman said.
Defence Minister Marise Payne declined to confirm she was to go to Cabinet to ask for more Defence funding. The Defence Department also declined to answer questions but in a written statement said yesterday the contract was now “unaffordable” without additional funding.
“Government will consider this issue in February,” a spokeswoman said.