The Australian government says that it will go ahead with the next stage of implementation of the controversial National Airspace System (NAS) on 27 November, despite a campaign led by Australian air traffic controller union Civil Air to delay implementation due to safety concerns, writes Emma Kelly.
Implementation of the next stage, which includes airspace reclassification, will go ahead after the changes passed safety assessments conducted by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) and Airservices Australia.
"CASA has accepted the design and implementation of safety cases after rigorous scrutiny," says transport minister John Anderson, adding that a comprehensive training and education package will now be launched.
Implementation of NAS, which was devised by former CASA chairman Dick Smith, started in March. The elements that are causing concern, including Class E airspace replacing Class C airspace, are set for introduction next month. Last week new airspace charts were released as part of NAS, which Civil Air has criticised on safety grounds, as they do not include radio frequencies or frequency boundaries.
Approval for the next stage follows the International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers Associations (IFATCA) entering the debate. IFATCA's board says that the "improvement in safety claimed to be inherent in the changes has not been proven", adding that other states have reduced or eliminated Class E airspace.
Source: Flight International
