Alarm over Mzansi's skyways

AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL: RISKS IN UNDERSTAFFING, OUTDATED OR UNMAINTAINED EQUIPMENT > Planes not cleared properly for approach are in danger, controller says.

- Hein Kaiser

Understaffing, air controller fatigue, allegedly stolen and unmaintained equipment, along with several operational challenges. This is what an ongoing investigation into potential safety threats in South Africa's airspace reveals.

Air traffic control operations in SA are facing critical issues that could potentially jeopardise the safety of flights.

According to current and former air traffic controllers employed by Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS), the organisation is critically understaffed with, for example, shifts requiring six controllers now frequently manned by only two or three. And ATNS is bleeding staff.

“The tower just lost four people last month. The pool is sitting with less than 50% of its required complement,” said one source.

South African air traffic controllers are in great demand globally, with Australian recruiters presently actively recruiting locally, while others move to an insatiable Middle Eastern market.

“Salaries are often almost double elsewhere,” a controller said. “We have not had an increase since pre-Covid.”

This reduction of human capital forces the consolidation of airspace sectors, which significantly increases the workload of each controller.

Overwork can cause fatigue, which increases the likelihood of instances such as missed clearances, failure to maintain proper separation between aircraft in flight and frequent go-arounds, where aircraft are forced to abort landings due to missed or non-timeous instructions.

“There are aircraft not being cleared properly for approach and not being handed over.

“That's where the safety issue lies,” a controller said.