Sydney’s skies realign as WSI flight path changes begin

“Over several years, Airservices has worked alongside government, industry, communities and aviation experts to design a safe and efficient airspace system that supports Sydney’s growing aviation network. More than 8,400 community submissions helped inform the flight paths now being introduced,” the air navigation service provider said.

“This is also the beginning of a new era in air traffic management. Western Sydney International will become Australia’s first airport to operate using a Digital Aerodrome Service system, with 25 high-definition cameras providing real-time aerodrome views to controllers at our Remote Tower Centre in Eastern Creek.

“From advanced air traffic management to our firefighting capability, our people, technology and infrastructure are ready to support the safe operation of Australia’s first major greenfield airport in decades.”

Some of the changes have been welcomed by Bankstown Airport operator Aeria Management Group (AMG), with CEO Tom Smith telling users in an email about “two important initiatives to support general aviation”.

“CASA has announced it will introduce a southeast visual flight rules (VFR) corridor, from 9 July, to help manage increasing air traffic in the Sydney Basin,” he said.

“The new outbound route, south of Bankstown Airport, will help address safety hazards related to growing airspace congestion and complexity and improve access to flight training areas.

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“AMG has advocated for the corridor for several years, alongside airport operators, to reduce risks and improve airspace access and equity for general aviation, particularly given the operational impacts of WSI.”

Smith also noted that CASA had “approved the establishment of a new Danger Area, south of Bankstown Airport and Camden Airport, to facilitate flight training”.

“This decision follows the displacement of a significant density of flight training operations in the Sydney Basin, due to the commencement of WSI. The new Danger Area will support flight training and help reduce safety risks for all airspace users,” he said.

“AMG was proud to work with UNSW Aviation in our successful application and advocacy for the new Danger Area. Many thanks to Andrew Young at UNSW and other flight schools and operators that supported the proposal.

“CASA has agreed to establish a temporary Danger Area, from 9 July, before an AIP SUP comes into effect in August.”

The Royal Federation of Aero Clubs of Australia has expressed cautious optimism, with president Lachlan Hyde saying the above two changes are “welcome and necessary mitigations for general aviation, particularly flight training, as WSI-related airspace changes commence”.

“But these should be understood as adaptations to a more complex and constrained operating environment, not as a complete solution. General aviation can coexist with major airport and RPT operations, but it needs to be planned properly, not treated as the space left over after everything else is accommodated,” he said.

“That said, I think it is important to be clear that these measures are not so much ‘wins’ in isolation as they are necessary adaptations to a significantly more complex operating environment. General aviation, and particularly flight training, has been materially affected by the introduction of WSI-related airspace and flight path changes.

“The industry is doing its best to adapt, but there is still real concern about displacement, congestion, training area access and the cumulative operational burden on Bankstown, Camden and broader Sydney Basin operators.”

Hyde also cautioned that general aviation “must not be treated as residual or secondary airspace users”.

“GA can and should coexist with RPT and major airport operations, including WSI, but that requires ongoing consultation, practical access arrangements and a willingness to respond quickly where safety or training capacity issues emerge,” he said.

“So in short: we welcome the corridor and the Danger Area, and we acknowledge the work that went into achieving them. But we would not want the commencement of WSI airspace changes to be characterised as a problem solved.

“These arrangements will need to be closely monitored, and further changes may be required as operators begin working within the new environment.”

WSI will see its first cargo service on the evening of 27 July, with passenger flights to begin on Sunday 25 October.