back to article 50 tech jobs to go at AirServices Australia

AirServices Australia is set to axe around 50 jobs across its IT department as part of sweeping cuts that could see 900 positions cut. The cuts are part of the Accelerate program, the ABC reports, and have raised concerns of safety from pilots and AirServices air traffic controllers. AirServices was not immediately available …

  1. -tim
    Mushroom

    They are very expensive

    Young pilots are told never to go into many controlled areas because of the cost of dealing with ATC so they don't learn proper procedures early. That came about when the government decided that a "user pays" system was more fair. I figure I use ATC every day when two planes don't crash on my house.

    Pilot training in Australia is in such bad shape that most of the people I know who tried it are now heavy in debt (often for prepaid flight hours that disappeared in bankruptcy) and won't ever get enough hours for the job they wanted. That issue will have far more consequences for long term aviation safety than some of ATC going away.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: They are very expensive

      Young pilots are told never to go into many controlled areas because of the cost of dealing with ATC so they don't learn proper procedures early.

      To me, that's just so short-sighted it's not funny. If they're aiming at a career in aviation, they need to get their heads around controlled airspace in its various guises as soon as they have established that they can keep their C152 or whatever under some reasonable semblance of control. Failing to do so does them no favours.

      Anon due to aviation related employment.

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Something's not right.

    According to an ASA PR droid, "...would only affect back office and technical staff."

    Umm, clerical types aside (and they're no less important) but the 'technical staff' are those that keep the stuff running so the controllers can do their jobs.

    They say that they're about to pull the plug on 22%[*] of their existing staff, so either:-

    a) ASA management were asleep at the wheel and allowed the staffing to get totally out of hand over the last x years so they are presently severely overstaffed and need to be cut, or

    b) There's going to be a significant reduction in service and system reliability if you pull that number of 'support' / tech staff.

    [*] Given that of the 4000 employees, 1000 are controllers who are supposedly 'quarantined' from the cuts, this really means that they're cutting 900 from the remaining 3000 employees, or 30% of the remaining staff.

    With a great amount of regret, I can foresee services, and therefore safety, being impacted by radar / radio / IT / etc failures which will be put down to "lack of support staff" when it happens (and I suspect it will happen).

    Either way, ASA management have some explaining to do.

    AC for much the same reason as the previous poster.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Something's not right.

      1000 controllers and 800 firies 'quarantined' from the cuts. Getting closer to 45% of the remaining staff. Were any of the current executive employed as managers during the period that staffing got out of control? Of course. Any bonuses being returned? I thought not.

      If CASA were real about oversight of technical, ATC training, procedures design, etc they would be getting involved before this goes pear shaped.

      Haven't even got into the can of worms yet. Ask the questions ministers.

      AC for the same reasons and black lists that don't exist

    2. TReko

      Re: Something's not right.

      >Either way, ASA management have some explaining to do.

      Perhaps they're getting the whole thing ready to be privatized?

      1. Denarius
        Flame

        Re: Something's not right.

        Indeed TRecko. This has the stench of the PHB class despising the technical staff who know stuff and do real work and, as per the last 20 years of all OZ gummints, privatisation, aka sale of public asset to lowest bidder who will also be (out of sight) the highest donor) followed by eye watering wallet emptying user charges. It helps if buyers are not Oz citizens because then they cant be questioned by pesky cross-bench in the house of Cards on Pointy Hill.

        Further to this story, one could trawl thru the recently closed enquiry which basically suggested recreational aviation _entirely_ manage itself. That is, pay usual fees and charges, get _nothing_ back but be responsible for the type of aviations activities. ie all gliding activities under GFA whether the user is affiliated or not. In short, private unfunded cops for each type of aviation. Needless to say, with the imposition of ADSB equipment, it would be easy for the new owners of Oz skies to "fine" anyone who enters the rapidly expanding controlled airspace. For safety reasons of course. The bonuses and profits flowing out of country have nothing to do with it.

        The malevolent spirit of Raygun and Ayn Rand coupled with the greed of the PHB class is making aviation unaffordable and at this rate, unachievable. The only fix is to ensure all pollies, PHB class and "advisors" travel in C152 or equivalent in all weathers for next 3 parliamentary terms. Once enough terror has been applied perhaps fools dreaming of compulsory taxation with no responsibility to provide due services for those taxes may be less likely to sell off public safety at behest of donors to essentially dangerous organisations that have long passed their use by date.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Something's not right.

        Perhaps they're getting the whole thing ready to be privatized?

        ASA and quite a few of its previous incarnations at least as far back as the early '90s have looked at Canada as a similar ATC situation to the one we have here - turn Oz 90° clockwise and you'll see the similarity. Melbourne/Cairns is quite a lot like Vancouver/Ottawa. Most of the high density traffic runs along one rather long edge with lots of nothing elsewhere (sorry, Perth).

        Canada turned private in 1996 as Nav Canada, a privately run, not-for-profit corporation. They have gained a great reputation for themselves. This quote is from Forbes.com in Feb this year:-

        Nav Canada runs one of the safest systems in the world, and it has won three International Air Transport Association (IATA) Eagle Awards as the world’s best ATC provider. Nav Canada is a “global leader in delivering top-class performance,” says the IATA. Nav Canada has developed new technologies that it exports around the world.

        Remember when Australia was a leader in world aviation circles?

        The UK turned private in 2000 as NATS, a public-private partnership involving the government (49%) and others. My spies tell me that they don't think much has changed there, despite the privatisation.

        If we did go private, we could do worse than look at the Canadian system.

        AC as seems to be the tradition here...

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Over recent years ASA have dramatically reduced the number of ground-based navaids to reduce costs (and increase bonuses).

    Now that they've reached the end of what they can physically discard they are starting to do the same to the wetware.

  4. GortonSM

    The best lessons learnt

    Legend has it that Canberra Airport is the busiest airport in Australia on Friday's - as the Pollies pile out to be home safely with their loved ones.

    Surely these same Pollies might not be blinkered enough to realise the clear benefits of air safety?

    1. ssharwood

      Re: The best lessons learnt

      Not apologising for this decision, but politicians usually have a busy roster of engagements in their electorates over the weekend - I've seen mine running water for a junior footy team. Their departments close for the weekend. They should stay in Canberra why?

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    The Minister Speaks...

    The ABC's Fran Kelly talked to the Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport this morning on RN. The transcript makes interesting reading.

    https://blogs.crikey.com.au/planetalking/2016/11/01/aviation-minister-admits-ignorance-sydney-radar-issue/

    One of the previous ACs.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: The Minister Speaks...

      I love the spin. Blame the mining downturn. How many of the job losses are in WA and QLD? If traffic has gone down that much surely you don't need as many ATCs. An excuse to cover up poor management that has been shown up when revenue is not as strong. Look at the type of jobs gone - HR etc. Still the same number of ATCs and ARFF.

      Yes minister. Believe Airservices management and your term will be short.

      A previous AC

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