Covid 19 coronavirus: Airways and NZ Air Line Pilots Association trade blows over tower closures

Rotorua Airport's air traffic control tower will be closed under Airways' plan. Photo / Stephen Parker

Air traffic controllers continue to highlight safety risks of Airways' plans to close air traffic control towers.

Airways NZ today confirmed it will withdraw services from seven airports while it works with the industry on a cross-sector plan to deliver a ''shared vision'' for regional aviation, modernise aviation services and get back to growth in the post-pandemic environment.

Airways says it will collaborate with a working party that includes the affected airports, Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), a general aviation (GA) representative and Air New Zealand to plan a ''safe and orderly transition.''

The working group will identify when the current services will be withdrawn from each airport and what type of service, if any, they may be replaced with. This process is expected to take around six months.

As each airport completes its process Airways will withdraw the air traffic control services from its towers at Hawke's Bay, Gisborne, New Plymouth, Rotorua and Invercargill airports. The state-owned enterprise will also cease providing airfield flight information services at Kapiti Coast Airport and Milford Sound Piopiotahi Aerodrome. Airways says other air fields that have no towers handle scheduled flights safely.

But the NZ Air Line Pilots Association says at uncontrolled aerodromes the limiting weather conditions aircraft can operate in are much lower.

Without air traffic services to provide separation and information pilots are required to visually sight each other in order to avoid collisions, but this will become extremely difficult in poor weather, creating an increased risk of collision.

Airways disputes this, saying only aircraft suitably equipped can fly in poor weather conditions (instrument meteorological conditions - IMC). These aircraft have transponders so they are able to detect and avoid each other, it says.

But the association has done further analysis of that response and distributed it to those affected. The association says Airways was ''conveniently confusing'' flying in cloud (using flight instruments only), with general aviation flying on a bad weather day clear of cloud.

Any aircraft is permitted to fly in poor weather, provided it operates within the CAA Visual Flight Rules (VFR) weather minima in regard to visibility and cloud base. At uncontrolled aerodromes these minima are a 600ft cloud base, and 1500m visibility compared with 1500ft and 5km at controlled aerodromes. This would be classified, by any measure, as poor weather conditions.

''Additionally, the author seems to be confused as to the function of an aircraft transponder. A transponder transmits the position and altitude of an aircraft to an air traffic controller when the unit is interrogated by an air traffic control surveillance system [radar].

Aircraft equipped with transponders alone are not able to see, interrogate, detect, or avoid each other unless they are equipped with additional technologies.

''As stated by NZALPA – pilots are required to sight one another. This will be harder in poor weather."

Airways chief executive Graeme Sumner said the dramatic collapse in flight numbers prompted by the Covid-19 pandemic had hastened the need to make changes to how air navigation services were delivered to ensure their long-term viability.

But the association maintains Airways is using the pandemic as an excuse to carry out long-planned action. Up to 38 jobs could be lost (out of a total of 180 Airways is targeting) and the association has been joined by local authorities in pushing back against the plans on safety and economic grounds. Regions believe any degradation of airport operations could hinder economic development.

Airways said it had extended the timeframe for consulting and gathering feedback.

Timings for any redundancies will be confirmed as part of the collaborative process with the airports and CAA. Airways will also work with staff on any redeployment opportunities.

Airways received a $70 million equity injection from the Government's $600m aviation package which included an estimated $37m assistance to the airlines which was intended to cover its fees.

But, based on further reductions in flight volumes, Airways says it is unlikely to see much of the $37m.

The SOE is also applying for $5m from the Government's wage subsidy.