AIR Services Australia has assured the safety of passengers flying to and from Tasmania, in reaction to a national media organisation’s allegations of failing air surveillance systems.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The report said planes were going missing for minutes at a time under the state’s Tasmanian Wide Area Multialteration system, claims ASA said were ‘‘simply wrong’’.
‘‘Surveillance equipment used across Tasmania is state-of-the-art, with passenger aircraft flying into the state under the control of an air traffic controller 24 hours a day,’’ the service said.
‘‘The Australian air traffic control system operates with multiple layers ... to manage any unforeseen issues and to ensure safety and service levels are continually maintained.’’
ASA said there were 14 ground stations located across the state, and back-up systems to cover any disruptions.
Launceston Airport general manager Paul Hodgen said they would be meeting with ASA on Thursday, and hoped to gain clarity on the report’s claims regarding 38 surveillance failures in the past two years.
‘‘We would place reliance on the Civil Aviation Safety Authority to determine if there was any safety issue, and the public should take guidance from that,’’ Mr Hodgen said.
Infrastructure Minister Rene Hidding said he sent correspondence to Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss in July regarding air safety concerns.
Mr Truss said he was advised by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority that Tasmania’s air traffic was safe: ‘‘All passenger flights in Tasmania are supported by continuous air traffic services delivered by highly trained air traffic controllers,’’ he said.
‘‘Consistent with its legislative requirements, CASA regularly reviews Australian airspace and has confirmed it will undertake a review of Tasmanian airspace, including Hobart, commencing in October this year.’’
