Airservices delivering improved services at Perth and Brisbane airports for the travelling public

Airservices Australia has introduced further initiatives at Brisbane and Perth Airports as part of its Airport Capacity Enhancement (ACE) program that will enable an increase in the number of aircraft movements that can be safely managed at each airport.

Airservices has halved the amount of holding fuel aircraft arriving at Perth Airport are required to carry. This means airlines may be able to reduce their take-off weight by up to 700 kilograms, providing greater efficiency and reducing the impact of aircraft emissions.

Aircraft are often required to hold in the air for operational and safety reasons, when demand exceeds landing capacity at an airport or due to weather related reduced visibility operations.

Airlines will now be able to reduce their holding fuel from 20 minutes to 15 minutes, which follows on from a reduction in 2013 of 10 minutes. This result has been achieved through extensive collaboration between Airservices, Perth Airport and the airline operators under the ACE program, which follows on from the introduction of the Harmony Traffic Flow management system in 2012.

At Brisbane Airport, a new air traffic control management procedure known as Dependent Runway Operations (DROPS) has been introduced. The new procedure provides additional flexibility and allows air traffic control to process arriving aircraft onto the main runway and the secondary runway, both day and night, when there is a southerly wind.

Other benefits to be delivered in conjunction with Brisbane Airport under the ACE program include minimising runway occupancy times, increasing the number of movements per hour during peak times from 44 to 47 and reducing the time of arrival delays in peak periods from 10 to 5 minutes. This means that more aircraft can be safely and efficiently programmed to arrive at Brisbane Airport in any given hour during good weather.

Airservices Executive General Manager Air Traffic Control, Greg Hood said, “Brisbane and Perth airports continue to experience strong demand from domestic and international airlines for arrival slots. The improvements we are making are designed to safely accommodate growth and maximise the airport’s efficiency while also delivering cost savings to our customers and benefits to the environment.”

The DROPS procedures were developed in full consultation with the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, and are subject to stringent safety standards.