Comments from the A4ANZ’s chair follow major delays and cancellations at Sydney Airport late last week after several air traffic controllers at the hub called in sick.
Citing similar disruptions experienced at Brisbane Airport in Dec, Samuel told The Australian that “heads must roll” at the top of Airservices Australia.
“Airservices Australia has consistently blamed COVID but for heaven’s sake, [it] finished in terms of the impositions three years ago,” he argued.
“The airlines had a much greater impact and yet they have managed to restore their services but Airservices can’t seem to get it right,” Samuel added.
A4ANZ also suggested that “extraordinarily deficient management” had led Airservices to be ignorant of the burden absorbed by the carriers when mass cancellations take place, like the one last week in Sydney.
“It’s an extraordinary cost to the airlines…and it’s not a diminished service [Airservices] provides, it’s an atrocious service.”
A spokesperson for Airservices said it regularly meets with airlines with regard to air traffic controllers and future plans.
Air traffic controllers are entitled to unlimited sick days to deter workers from coming to work if they are feeling fatigued.
