[Peetwo]

Update: 07/02/18

From 'that man', via the Oz:

Fears of more delays in overhaul

12:00amEAN HIGGINS

The air traffic controllers union has expressed ­unease at delays in a program to integrate military and civilian airspace management.

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The union representing air traffic controllers has expressed ­unease at further delays in the $1.5 billion OneSKY program to integrate military and civilian airspace management, warning the existing equipment has ­already “reached its use-by date”.

Civil Air also alleges Airservices Australia, which runs the ­nation’s air traffic control and navigation system and leads the OneSKY program, has largely shut out its representative from the planning process, which the union claims has deprived planners of practical input from serving air traffic controllers.

The concerns follow the revelation from The Australian yesterday that the Australian National Audit Office has determined the project is running nearly 2½ years behind schedule, and will not be fully operational until early 2025, instead of late 2022 as originally planned.

The joint project of Defence and federal government-owned Airservices has not yet even ­entered into a contract with the preferred lead contractor, French aerospace group Thales, despite millions being spent over the years on consultants.

While Airservices says a contract will be signed by the end of next month, the ANAO has warned that without it there is no guarantee the final completion date will not blow out further.

In September, airline passengers got a taste of the chaos breakdowns in the air traffic control system can produce, when Sydney airport suffered what Airservices called a “system software failure” and only a limited number of flights were able to land and depart. “There are concerns that the current equipment has reached its use-by date, and if it is blown out further, there would need to be measures put in to maintain its integrity, ” Civil Air’s executive secretary, Peter McGuane, told The Australian.

An Airservices spokeswoman said: “The current air traffic control system, Eurocat, continues to perform at the required standard to provide a safe and ­effective service for our customers, and there are support ­arrangements in place to ensure its safe operation through to 2024.”

Mr McGuane claimed Civil Air’s nominee to the OneSKY design planning sessions had been given the cold shoulder, told at some stages there was no need for him to attend because the project had moved into the “engineering phase”.

Airservices’ spokeswoman said the organisation “continues to work with staff from across Airservices, including experienced air traffic controllers, ­engineers and representatives from Civil Air”.

South Australian senator Rex Patrick, of the Nick Xenophon Team, has called on the federal government to establish an independent review of OneSKY before allowing the contract with Thales to be signed.

MTF...P2