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ASA normalised deficiencies stay under the radar?? -  

Via the Oz (thank you Wannabe ):

Airservices trials 300 per cent overtime pay for controllers to stop flight chaos

Airservices is offering air traffic controllers triple their hourly rate of pay to accept overtime during the school holiday period on the condition they also work their rostered hours.

The “enhanced school holiday overtime incentive” appears designed to avoid more flight disruption around the country at a very busy time of year.

Information provided to controllers said the initiative was being trialled to “support service resilience during the September/October 2026 school holiday period, when leave demand is traditionally higher and workforce availability can be more constrained”.

“The initiative is intended to encourage voluntary availability for overtime and recognise employees who provide additional flexibility during these periods,” said the notice.

Those that met the criteria of working overtime shifts on top of their rostered hours, would be paid 300 per cent of their normal hourly rate instead of the usual overtime rate of 190 per cent.

It means a level 1 controller could earn $200 an hour for an overtime shift, instead of $127 an hour; a level 6 controller could earn $318 an hour instead of $201, and a level 10 controller almost $400 an hour instead of $247.

“The incentive will be applied to eligible employees nationally,” said the notice, adding it would only apply during the two weeks of school holidays in the various states and territories.

At other times of the year, controllers can be paid overtime even if they have called in sick during the rostered week and then come in on a day off.

Civil Air president Scott Nugent said it was better to reward staff for helping out rather than simply pressuring them to work hard.

“Air traffic controllers have families too and this scheme does recognise the value of giving up a day with them during the school holidays to help bolster service delivery,” said Mr Nugent.

“We acknowledge the scheme is a two week trial over the current school holidays only, and we will be working with Airservices following that to review it.”

In regards to the risk of controllers ignoring their fatigue in order to make more money during the trial period, Mr Nugent said the union would be “watching closely”.

“It is possible this initiative makes additional staff members available on short-staffed days so that controllers are not forced to do more with less,” he said.

An Airservices spokesman stressed that initiative was voluntary and would not change existing leave arrangements, fatigue management or safety requirements.

“Pending an assessment of the outcome of the trial and feedback from staff and stakeholders, we will consider further use of incentive measures as required,” he said.

Staff shortages have plagued various parts of Airservices and in particular the Sydney air traffic control tower, resulting in a slowdown in operations which in turn cause flight delays.

Airservices has acknowledged that ground delays in Sydney in August were about four times higher than at the same time last year.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau is also examining work practices at the Sydney tower, after six close calls between large passenger aircraft on the taxiways over four weeks.

Airservices is currently awaiting Australian Competition and Consumer Commission approval for a raft of price increases for air navigation services, designed to better cover costs.

Airlines are opposed to the increases which would amount to a doubling of fees over five years.

Airservices has argued the price hikes are necessary to cover costs, as the organisation invested in new equipment and people to keep Australia’s skies safe.

And from the other (lefty/socialist)  Aunty   :

Sydney Airport runway conflict in July one of Australia's most severe, safety investigator says

• 
  By Miriah Davis
  
• Topic:Air Transport Industry
  

Posted Wed at 3:18pmWednesday at 3:18pm, updated Wed at 6:24pmWednesday at 6:24pm

The ATSB has released preliminary reports into four of the six incidents at Sydney Airport between July and August. (ABC News: John Gunn)
In short:

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau on Wednesday released preliminary reports related to four out of six incidents at Sydney Airport.
The ATSB identified a July 27 incident as one of the most severe to occur since safety records began in 2003. 
The final findings into the occurrences between July and late-August will be handed down at a later date.

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A near-collision at Sydney Airport in July has been deemed one of the most severe runway conflicts since record-keeping began more than 20 years ago, air safety investigators say.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) on Wednesday released four preliminary reports related to six incidents that occurred at Kingsford Smith Airport between July and August.

The reports do not make findings or recommendations, but outline the sequence of events and key operational context at the time of the incidents.



Angus Mitchell deemed the July 27 incident at Sydney Airport a Category A event.  (ABC News)

ATSB Commissioner Angus Mitchell said the first of the incidents, involving two Qantas aircraft in July, had been deemed a "Category A runway incursion".

He said the event was the most severe to occur in Sydney and was only the third such incident within Australia since ATSB records began in 2003.

"In all six incidents, safety defences operated in some form; air traffic controllers, pilots or ground crew acted to prevent more serious outcomes,"

  Mr Mitchell said.

An illustration of QLK424D and QF124 on the July 27 incident.  (Source: ATSB)

On July 27, a "breakdown of coordination" led an air traffic controller to clear a Boeing 737 (QF124) carrying 157 people to cross a runway as a QantasLink Bombardier (QLK424D) with 55 people onboard was landing.

The interim report said the air controller who issued the clearance had a "high predicted fatigue risk level" when a brief handover was given to another controller while they went on break.

]"[The 737] had stopped before reaching the intersection of runway 34L and runway 25 but was within the runway surface area past the runway stop bars, resulting in a runway incursion," the report said.
"[The Bombardier] came to a stop prior to the runway 34L and 25 runway intersection. When both aircraft came to a stop, they were approximately 120 m apart."

The report also said that, the time of the occurrence, Sydney's air traffic control tower was operating with high predicted fatigue levels for four out of seven controllers.

"Whilst an elevated fatigue risk does not necessarily mean a controller was fatigued, or that fatigue affected performance, we are, however, examining the effectiveness of the measures that were in place to manage this pre-identified risk," Mr Mitchell said.


Four traffic controllers had a "high predicted fatigue risk level" at the time of the July incident.  (ABC News)

Mr Mitchell said roster modelling by Airservices Australia had predicted an "elevated fatigue risk" for staff on many of the days in which conflicts occurred between July 27 and August 25.

Mr Mitchell said while staff resourcing was not determined as the direct cause of the occurrences, the ATSB would investigate whether the practice of combining operational roles and an over-reliance on overtime to fill shifts were underlying factors.

Safety investigators broaden scope

On Wednesday, the ATSB also released a report comparing levels of similar occurrences across Australian airports between 2016 and 2026 to ascertain whether the incidents at Sydney Airport were localised or reflected a broader national trend.

Mr Mitchell said between July and August this year there had been 11 ground incidents reported at Sydney Airport, including the six currently under investigation.

Sydney also reported double the annual average of "information and procedural errors" compared to other major airports nationally, he said.


An interim report has also been released into a near-miss at Sydney Airport on August 9. (Supplied)

Mr Mitchell said "higher consequence incidents", such as runway incursions, taxiway collisions and losses of separation, had also increased post-COVID.

"Nationally, occurrence rates have remained steady over the past decade, at Sydney, however, ground conflictions attributed to ATC actions have increased since the COVID-19 recovery," he said.

Mr Mitchell said challenges from COVID were still impacting operations, not only in Australia but globally.

"It's not just these incidents, we have seen those impacts at times with delays in flights [and] at times some of the stressors within the system and the flow on effects."

Still safe to fly

A spokesperson for Airservices Australia said in a statement it would review the interim reports and the findings once the investigations were concluded, but "safety remains our number one priority".

"We will continue to work with the ATSB on their investigations and we will work closely with CASA (Civil Aviation Safety Authority) and the ATSB in regard to any improvements that can be applied," the spokesperson said.

A spokesperson for CASA said Australia's aviation network and Sydney Airport remained safe.

"Having reviewed the ATSB's preliminary reports, CASA remains of the view that none of the incidents indicate and immediate safety risk. If action was needed, it would have been taken," the spokesperson said.

"While the ATSB continues its investigation and analysis, CASA is undertaking a safety assurance review focusing on whether there are underlying operational or system issues that could affect safety."

Qantas spokesman Captain Mark Cameron, head of operational safety, said the company remained confident in Australia's "highly sophisticated network of safety controls".

“We are working closely with Airservices Australia, the ATSB and the broader aviation industry to help improve air traffic control operations at Sydney Airport.," he said in a statement.


Ms King says Sydney Airport remains safe.  (ABC News)

Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Catherine King, said the preliminary reports highlighted that every opportunity should be taken to improve aviation safety.

"Addressing operational and workforce challenges is critical to ensuring safe, reliable and resilient air traffic control services for the flying public," she said.

"This is why the government established the Sydney Airport Air Traffic Control Working Group, which brings together government, industry, workforce and regulatory stakeholders."

The final findings on the July 27 incident, as well as the two on August 9 and August 18, could take up to 12 months to be delivered.

This useless and lazy Miniscule is sleepwalking into a perfect Reason Swiss cheese disaster but who cares??

MTF...P2