CASA Media Release - 30 April 1999
Safety boost for regional airports
Flying will be safer at more than 120 regional aerodromes across Australia from this weekend.
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) is introducing new rules covering radio communications at regional airports without air traffic control services.
The rules require the installation of new radio equipment to help pilots talk to each other in the air and on the ground.
CASA is targeting non-controlled airports used by scheduled airlines services operating planes carrying ten or more passengers.
CASA's Director of Aviation Safety, Mick Toller, says the new rules will ensure pilots are using their radios properly where there are no air traffic control services.
Mr Toller said the CASA initiative was supported by the major and regional airlines.
"In the past there have been concerns that some pilots have not been using their radios properly at regional airports," Mr Toller said.
"Radios have been switched to the wrong frequency, turned off or the volume has simply been turned down. That meant pilots risked being unaware of other air traffic wanting to land or take off.
"CASA's new rule means that a radio confirmation service must be installed at more than 120 regional airports where regular public transport aircraft carrying more than ten passengers operate.
"Most of these services will be an automatic radio unit that is activated by the pilot and sends a short message confirming radio contact has been made with the correct aerodrome.
"At busier regional airports airlines are using their own staff to manually operate a radio confirmation service. The airlines have strongly backed this safety development because it means their pilots can be confident that everyone using these airports will be on the air and aware of air traffic activity."
Examples of airports with the new automatic radio confirmation services are Ballina, Dubbo, Wagga, Bendigo, Mildura, Port Lincoln, Bundaberg, Mount Isa, Toowoomba, King island, Broome, Laverton and Gove. Airports with a radio confirmation service operator include Cooma, Moruya, Latrobe Valley, Shepparton, Charleville, Karumba, Leigh Creek, Cleve, Albany, Broome, Kalgoorlie and Tanami.
Media contact
Peter Gibson
ph 02 6217 1015
mobile 0419 296 446
Ref: ME9914PR