Airservices strong performance supports industry growth, transformation
Airservices Australia has published its 2018-19 Annual Report, which demonstrates the organisation's performance in continuing to deliver safe and efficient services that are valued by Australia's aviation industry today, while investing in the technology, people and infrastructure required to meet the challenges that lie ahead.
CEO Jason Harfield said the initiatives delivered by Airservices over the course of the year are already providing tangible benefits to customers and industry.
"This year we achieved several major milestones in our world-leading OneSKY program to align the needs of civil and military aviation, while catering for the forecast growth in the aviation sector," said Mr Harfield.
The most significant of these milestones was the commissioning of the program's new voice communication system in the Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney Air Traffic Management (ATM) service facilities.
To improve overall network efficiency, foundational work for the Airport Collaborative Decision Making (A-CDM) system was completed and implementation of the Long Range Air Traffic Flow Management (LR-ATFM) platform commenced.
"Working in tandem, these two initiatives will provide multiple benefits to customers and industry while minimising the impact of disruptions on the travelling public and improving environmental outcomes," Mr Harfield said.
Airservices maintained its exceptional safety record in 2018-19, with zero significant attributable safety occurrences recorded as it facilitated 163 million passenger movements through Australia's skies. Aviation rescue fire fighters saved 21 lives and responded to more than 6,700 incidents.
Airservices also maintained its strong financial position, achieving a $62.4 million net profit after tax. Customers continue to benefit from Airservices responsible financial stewardship, with a 2 per cent price reduction implemented from 1 July, following successive years of zero price growth. This represents a real price decrease of 20 per cent since 2015, and will save customers around $20 million a year.
"Our work in 2018-19 is testament to the fact that Airservices is committed to supporting the growth of a safe and efficient aviation ecosystem for all airspace users, which underpins the economic and social prosperity of our nation," said Mr Harfield.