Sydney airport weighs leaving control tower unstaffed overnight
Airservices Australia is examining whether to cut overnight operating hours at Sydney Airport's control tower amid a shortage of air traffic controllers. No approval has been sought yet, and the airport's overnight curfew limits the effect on regular commercial flights.
Sydney Airport's control tower could be left unstaffed overnight on a temporary basis, as Airservices Australia works around a continuing shortage of air traffic controllers. The agency is looking at restricting the tower's operating hours during the night, according to the Australian aviation authority CASA. No application for approval has been filed so far.
A night flight curfew already applies at Sydney between 11pm and 6am, so regular commercial traffic would largely be unaffected. Flights exempt from the curfew, including medical and emergency services, would have to take off or land without a staffed tower during that period.
The measure would free up two controllers for daytime duties. On 11 September, the unexpected absence of a single controller caused significant delays, showing the strain on staffing.
Australia's major airlines support examining the proposal.
Sources
- aerotelegraph.comSydney erwägt nächtliche Schließung des Kontrollturms wegen Personalmangels