Air traffic controllers at Sydney Airport have raised serious concerns with federal safety regulators over recent changes to airspace rules introduced last month, comparing the situation to the lead-up to a Washington DC crash that claimed 67 lives.
The federal government was informed on Thursday about a confidential complaint reviewed by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), in which veteran air traffic controllers cautioned back in June that changes tied to the new Western Sydney International Airport were rushed, with “inadequate training for controllers of all experience levels.” The complainant told the regulator a large group of controllers in Sydney "hold grave concerns about the project", referring to the air traffic redesign to accommodate the new airport.
In response to the complaint, the Sydney Terminal Control Unit stated that the person “may or may not be fully aware of all the procedural or safety measures implemented so far.” They explained that all new training manuals and procedures related to the changes had been thoroughly developed and approved, with additional staff supervision and monitoring in place, as well as planned restrictions on new air traffic controllers working within the system.
The federal regulator, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), told the ATSB it was satisfied that Airservices Australia had implemented proper training procedures and operational support arrangements, and assured sufficient oversight to maintain safety.
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