ATSB report sparks review of Airspace design

The Chief of Air Force, Air Marshal Geoff Brown has affirmed the RAAF’s commitment to ‘mission first, safety always’ following a recent Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) report.

The report found that military airspace accounted for 20 per cent of ‘loss of separation’ (LOS) incidents.

The ATSB emphasised that the rate of near misses due to civilian air traffic control is one of the lowest in the world.

In almost 90 per cent of cases, the bureau said there “was no or a low risk of aircraft colliding”, while only about six cases a year “represent an elevated safety risk”.

The report shows about half of the instances of aircraft flying too close to each other are due to air traffic controllers' actions, while the other half are the fault of pilots.

However, the ATSB said the number of near misses in military-controlled airspace was “relatively high and most are the result of controller actions”.

Air Force is disappointed that the report concentrates on the loss of separation incidents in military airspace, when the vast majority of incidents occur outside the airspace for which Air Force is responsible.

“Air Force acknowledges this report, because of our commitment to continuous improvement in aviation safety as part of our robust Safety Management System,” Air Marshal Brown said.

As part of Air Force’s ongoing commitment to safety, Air Force will undertake a review of Air Traffic Management Plans and airspace design for RAAF Bases Darwin, Townsville and Williamtown.

These three bases integrate a large number of aircraft types – both military and civilian – and the review will ensure military airspace is more error resistant.

Information about Air Force’s air traffic safety systems is available at: www.airforce.gov.au/JBAC.