Hobart Airport is the fastest growing capital city airport in Australia, which is good news for Tasmania. Unfortunately its 60 year old air traffic control infrastructure is no longer up to the job.
Airservices Australia classifies Hobart as a regional airport so, rather than upgrade, it has decided to implement a new automated satellite-only system - the same system it plans to roll out at other regional airports around Australia.
Infrastructure that is standard at every other capital city and major airport in Australia - such as radar and ground-based navigation - is not included. Yet the air traffic volume managed by Hobart is higher than Canberra.
This is already having and - if Airservices plan goes ahead - will continue to have a significant negative impact on air safety, airline costs, tourism and local communities.
(Photo from Hobart Airport Facebook)
IF Airservices’ Plan is allowed to continue
The fastest growing capital city airport in Australia, actively seeking to attract direct international flights, will be left with a regional airport standard air traffic control system. Incidents involving commercial passenger jets have already occurred
Longer and less flexible routes will generate unnecessarily higher fuel costs for airlines and longer flight times for passengers
Highly concentrated flight paths will significantly impact residents and businesses in quiet, coastal communities, never previously overflown by commercial jets, putting jobs and amenity at risk
Take Action
Even the Airservices Board seems to agree they have a problem: they’ve commissioned the Aircraft Noise Ombudsman to undertake a systemic review of Airservices’s community consultation processes.
It’s much too late for that: it’s time for our political representatives and CASA to get involved before further damage is caused.
You can make a difference.