Under pressure

And along with the increase in the number of people employed in the resources sector, a proportional increase in the use of FIFO is taking place. The CME estimates that in 2011 52 per cent of workers in the resources sector were on FIFO arrangements.

By comparison, in 2005 only 47 per cent of workers were FIFO. This proportionate growth is forecast to continue, whereby in 2015 the resources workforce is expected to be 110,000 people, of which 57 per cent will utilise FIFO. In addition, between 2011 and 2020 a further 30,000 to 50,000 people will be employed in industries supporting the resources sector. Many will use FIFO work arrangements.

The majority of the FIFO workforce travels from Perth to sites located in the Pilbara and mid west areas of WA, although the resources industry is seeking to increase the number of employees living in regional centres, particularly Broome, Carnarvon, Geraldton and Busselton.

“At the most basic level, FIFO is about providing choice for workers,” explains Reg Howard, CEO of the CME. “While some are happy to live locally or at a regional hub, thousands more prefer to reside in the city, where they have existing homes and social networks. In the next few years, the vast majority of FIFO workers will be involved in construction of resource projects. Industry is very supportive of viable, liveable communities and focuses on improving the regions in which they operate.

It’s important to understand, however, that construction work is short term and expecting workers to take up permanent residence is unrealistic. ” With the FIFO boom comes pressure on Perth Airport, which has experienced rapid air movement and passenger growth over the past six years. In that time the number of passengers has doubled, with 11. 5 million passengers using the airport in 2010/2011. The past financial year has seen an increase of one million passengers, or growth of 9. 4 per cent. Not surprising then that Perth is the fastest growing capital city airport in Australia.

Projections by the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE) in 2010 predict that the growth in passenger and aircraft movements at Perth Airport will continue for the long term. It predicts that from 2008/09 to 2030 passenger numbers will grow nearly threefold from 9. 4 million to 24. 8 million – an annual growth rate of 4. 7 per cent. Not only will the number of movements increase, but so too will the average passenger size of aircraft operating at Perth.

Growth in passenger numbers has greatlyexceeded estimates in the 2009 Perth Airport Master Plan, which guides future investment in airport infrastructure. In 2009 the projection of passenger numbers for 2011 was approximately 9. 8 million, but the actual figure is more than 1. 5 million passengers above this estimate.

Due to the long lead time in planning and constructing airport infrastructure, this significant increase in passenger and aircraft numbers has lead to capacity problems at peak times. Regularly, over 100 aircraft park overnight at Perth. Overnight aircraft parking on the domestic aprons exceeds available space, with overflow having to be placed on the international apron precinct.

Domestic terminal facilities also struggle to accommodate passenger demand.

“While infrastructure and airport operations are constrained at peak times, these are for only relatively small periods of the day,” says Brad Geatches, Perth Airport CEO. “At other times, we have significant capacity available for further growth. ” To date, domestic and international passenger facilities at Perth Airport have been located on opposite sides of the main runway. It is intended that domestic and international passenger facilities will be located side by side in the present international precinct. To meet this increased demand, Perth Airport has accelerated its consolidation plans. A new terminal building accommodating regional passengers will be opened in 2013. Expansion to the international terminal and construction of a domestic pier to the western end of the international terminal will both commence in 2012 with completion in 2014. Construction of additional apron and taxiway infrastructure is also well advanced, while projects to improve road access and for new car parking are also underway.

At peak times significant operational delays can occur at Perth Airport. Perth has two main peak periods of 5. 30am to 7. 30am and 3pm to 4pm, where runway movements exceed 35 per hour. The early morning period comprises almost entirely departing aircraft providing FIFO mining operations and business travel. During the afternoon peak a more even spread of arriving and departing aircraft occurs. Most problematic are the early morning departure peaks on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings.

The proximity to three other airports – Jandakot, RAAF Base Pearce and the Pearce satellite field of Gin Gin – constrains the operational capacity of Perth Airport. A combination of military airspace and high density civil training limits the number of arrival and departure routes available. This restricts the ability of air traffic control to quickly route traffic away from areas of major conflict.

In response, Airservices Australia has introduced a number of initiatives to manage delays to departing aircraft and the arrival flow. For departing aircraft, a taxiing allocation time is provided. Arriving aircraft are given an arrival time determined by modelling of Perth Airport traffic undertaken at Airservices’ National Operations Centre the preceding day. Where possible, ground delays are applied to reduce in-air holding and prolonged ground running, minimising additional fuel costs.

Working with other stakeholders, Airservices has been able to introduce new procedures to improve the capacity of Perth Airport and the surrounding airspace.

These initiatives include high intensity runway operations incorporating tightly controlled spacing between arriving and departing aircraft, having arriving aircraft rapidly exit the runway, and having departing aircraft quickly enter the runway and taking off. And agreement with the RAAF has been reached for the use of some restricted airspace when not required by the military, enabling new departure procedures to be used, particularly in the evening.

However, these new procedures, as well as infrastructure investment by Perth Airport, are supply-side focused, and problems remain in meeting aircraft demand at peak times.

Discussions have been taking place between Perth Airport, the mining industry, FIFO operators and Airservices about introducing measures to reduce demand for airport and air traffic services at recognised peak times. Perth Airport has, for example, introduced a fixed minimum charge for arriving or departing flights during peak periods to provide an incentive for airlines to operate outside these times. Airservices, meanwhile, has suggested changes to mining crew rostering practices so that peak FIFO demand occurring on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings could be spread to other times of the day or different days of the week.

But the mining industry indicates that changes to embedded work practices will be difficult to achieve. The labour shortage makes it difficult for the mining industryto make workplace changes that may be perceived to diminish the lifestyle of their workforce.

And it is not just at Perth where traffic has boomed, as many FIFO operations involve flights from Perth to regional airports with onward connections to the mines.

“The route between Perth and Karratha now has 70 flights per week and more passengers than Perth to Adelaide,” notes Greatches.

As well as Karratha, other prominent regional airports used for transit to mine sites include Port Hedland, Newman and Kalgoorlie.

CME’s Howard highlights this growing importance. “The Shire of Roebourne, which operates Karratha Airport, the busiest regional airport in Western Australia, receives revenue of about $30 million per year as a result of the high traffic, most of which is from a FIFO workforce. ” The large growth in aircraft operations to the Pilbara, goldfields (Kalgoorlie) and mid west areas of Western Australia has required Airservices to increase surveillance coverage. At present, radar coverage is available within a radius of approximately 250nm around Perth Airport, and outside this area and below ADS-B’s FL 290 coverage reach, separation between aircraft flying under instrument flight rules (IFR) is undertaken by air traffic controllers applying procedural separation standards.

Airservices now considers that, while safety is not being compromised, the procedural control system has now reached its capacity in the northwest of Western Australia.

A decision has been made to install a temporary radar system at Paraburdoo that will provide surveillance of aircraft operating in the Pilbara, with this radar expected to be operational in late 2012.

But it is ADS-B that offers a long term solution. Airservices has installed ADS‑B ground stations throughout Australia to provide nationwide surveillance coverage at FL290 and above, ahead of mandated aircraft fitment of this technology. But Airservices Australia CEO Greg Russell believes that “with the addition of only three or four additional ground stations full surveillance coverage at all levels of Western Australia could be achieved. ” Surveillance based on ADS-B would be able to provide significantly greater coverage over WA than that based upon radar systems located at Perth Airport and Paraburdoo. However, ADS-B surveillance is reliant on aircraft being equipped with the required transponder.

CASA has mandated that all aircraft flying at FL290 or above are required to be fitted with ADS-B transponders by December 2013. But additionally, CASA is proposing that all IFR aircraft operating within 500nm of Perth Airport to the north and east be required to be equipped with ADS-B by January 2016, ahead of a national fitment requirement of January 2017.

Russell notes that “the fitment of ADS‑B avionics by an additional 75 IFR aircraft, who provide FIFO services in northwest Western Australia, would enable 90 per cent surveillance coverage in this area. ” WA traffic growth has also seen regional airports requiring service changes and new infrastructure. Service changes to an airport’s air traffic control service will follow an aviation safety study performed by CASA, while aerodrome rescue fire services are determined by the operations at an airport reaching specific trigger levels incorporating size of aircraft and annual numbers of passengers using the airport.

Broome and Karratha airports have recently had upgraded services. Karratha has a new aerodrome control and rescue fire service, while Broome has had an increased span of air traffic control coverage and a new tower, to open in 2012. It is expected that Port Hedland will soon require increased services too.

As for airport infrastructure, the WA state government has instituted the Regional Airports Development Scheme (RADS) to help fund infrastructure development at regional airports. In 2011/12, $8. 4 million is being made available for regional airport development, with 29 projects being identified as suitable for funding. Largest funding has been allonewcated to airports at Port Hedland, Albany, Esperance and Learmonth.

At mine sites a number of airports are being built in relatively close proximity. For example, in the Pilbara six mining airports are located with an area of 100nm. It seems that mining companies are unwilling to use ground transport between an airport and the mining camp for distances of more than 30km, mindful of the risks of injury through travelling on underdeveloped roads and fatigue management guidelines.

Locating an airport close to a mine enables the workforce to undertake a shift of work, not spending a full day in travel. But the close proximity of a number of airports often results in restrictions to arrival and departure for aircraft operating at those airports. These delays are then accentuated due to air traffic controllers having to apply procedural separation techniques.

Another risk mitigation strategy applied by the miners themselves is the Flight Safety Foundation developed Basic Aviation Risk Standard (BARS). BARS, which was developed in Australia in conjunction with the resources sector, is fast becoming increasingly influential in establishing safety and emergency standards for aircraft operators providing FIFO services. It was developed from an industry need to establish a common safety audit standard for aviation operations supporting the resources sector (where previously individual companies had their own audit standards and requirements). BARS describes the risks to aircraft operations, then details the necessary standards, controls and actions that aircraft operators should adopt to mitigate these issues.

A number of leading resources companies including Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton, Leighton and Xstrata have joined with the Flight Safety Foundation to apply BARS. Involvement in the BARS program entails aircraft operators registering their participation, then adopting the necessary practices to comply with the requirements.

Aircraft operators are then audited for their compliance. Compliance to BARS is increasingly being used by resources companies as a prerequisite for aircraft operators to be considered as a supplier of FIFO services. At present 42 aircraft operators, all focused on the resources sector, are registered for BARS in Australia.

It is another response to the dramatic growth in air travel driven by FIFO services for the mining sector, to which infrastructure, both airways and airport, has struggled to keep up with.