Air traffic control union warns overtime and shortages are compromising agency

Australia’s air traffic control agency is relying on hundreds of hours of overtime as it struggles to fill shifts in airport towers, a union analysis of internal rostering documents shows. The staff union representing the nation’s air traffic controllers, Civil Air, has warned that understaffing problems at Airservices Australia are so severe they threaten to undermine its ability to provide air traffic services. “The consequences ultimately are a reduction of air service provision, which could mean airspace closures, potentially, or a restriction of services or hours,” Peter McGuane, the union’s executive secretary, said. “The potential for that to happen is quite real.” The claim has been strongly denied by Airservices, which says there is no shortage of air traffic controllers. It says there have been no airspace closures and no reduction in its ability to manage airspace safely and efficiently. The organisation said it had more than 900 air traffic controllers, with another 65 in training, and requires about 800 to fully staff the air traffic management system. “Like most industries, we are experiencing the impacts of Covid-19 and one of the worst flu seasons seen in years, leading to high levels of short-notice, unplanned absences of our staff,” an Airservices spokesperson said. “We are managing these short-term, unplanned absences safely through overtime shifts, governed by our Fatigue Risk Management System.” Last week, Airservices brought on a new service for air traffic in and out of Rockhampton and Mackay airports. A union analysis of rosters for that service, seen by the Guardian, shows the scale of the overtime.<br/>