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Airservices Australia is extending its air traffic controller training partnership with Airways International for another year.
The two organisations have signed another agreement that will see several cohorts of Airservices trainees travel to Christchurch for instruction over the next 12 months. It comes as Airservices faces scrutiny over recent staff shortages, and plans to endorse 95 new controllers in 2026.
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“Airservices is exploring all opportunities to safely and efficiently fast-track controller training and recruitment, as part of a collaborative aviation industry approach to improving outcomes for the travelling public,” said Airservices chief executive Rob Sharp.
The partnership, announced in 2023, has seen two previous Airservices cohorts already graduate in August 2024 and December 2025, while another is currently in training; the first of the new batches will commence in April.
James Evans, Airways International’s general manager commercial, said the contract “highlights the trust Airservices places in Airways’ training expertise”.
“We’re proud to continue supporting Airservices Australia in developing highly skilled air traffic controllers,” he said.
“This agreement reflects the confidence in our training programs and our ability to deliver world-class outcomes, and also demonstrates the value of collaboration between our organisations.”
Airservices last month came under fire for a number of disruptions caused by unexpected staff absences, including significant delays and cancellations on 15 January.
Officials from Airservices last week had what was described as a “highly productive” meeting with representatives from Airlines for Australia and New Zealand (A4ANZ) on the issue, with A4ANZ chairman Graeme Samuel saying airlines will “just have to wait and see what the outcome will be”.
Airservices has acknowledged the shortfall but says it has ramped up staffing numbers over the last several years with a big push for more recruits.
“While Airservices’ overall service performance is at its strongest in more than three years, we recognise resilience remains below where it needs to be in some locations, particularly Sydney,” an Airservices spokesperson told The Sydney Morning Herald.
The air traffic management provider has said it is “focused on active recruitment, training and cross-skilling to improve service outcomes for our customers and partners as we move into 2026”.
“As reported in the December Australian Aviation Network Overview, strengthening workforce capacity remained our core focus throughout 2025, with 91 additional air traffic controllers endorsed over the last 12 months, exceeding the target of 85,” a spokesperson said last month.
Sharp said last year that staffing had returned to pre-COVID-19 levels, but was still “not where [Airservices] wanted it”.
