As the future of a manned air traffic control tower at Invercargill remains in the balance, Airways New Zealand has confirmed that plans to launch New Zealand first digital air traffic control ‘tower’ in Invercargill have also been put on ice.

A first for New Zealand, construction on the project began last year. It was to have been extensively tested this year, with a view to it being certified for active operations midway through next year.

However, Airways chief executive Graeme Sumner said the organisation was now reviewing its capital projects and operations in the wake of Air New Zealand’s dramatic downsizing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“While we will look to digital services in the future, the impacts of Covid-19 on flight levels means the digital air traffic control tower trial at Invercargill Airport is now on hold. Invercargill was selected for the trial because pre-pandemic traffic levels were low enough compared to an international airport to make implementing a totally new system manageable, but busy enough to give a meaningful demonstration of how the technology would work on a larger scale,” he said.

Last month Airways announced Invercargill Airport was one of five where it was considering withdrawing air traffic control services altogether, as a result of the dramatic reduction in air traffic following the COVID-19 outbreak. The airfield flight information service (AFIS) provided at Kapiti Coast Airport and Milford Sound Piopiotahi Aerodrome are also being considered.

Forecasts indicate the national network will only see up to a 60% recovery over the next two years, with border restrictions expected to stay in place for some time. Airways has proposed to reduce its cost base by 30% and make 180 of its staff redundant. A two-week consultant period with unions is due to be completed on Thursday and a decision on what might happen at Invercargill Airport won’t be known until after the outcome of that consultation.

The New Zealand Air Line Pilots’ Association (NZALPA) has slammed the proposal as reckless and lacking integrity.

NZALPA President Captain Andrew Ridling said it was a decision to put money ahead of the safety of the travelling public.

“Airways have already been given $107 million of tax payers’ money either directly or via rebates, and also applied for $5 million in wage subsidy in order to prevent redundancies,” he said.

“Where is the essential safety case to close these regional air traffic towers? Let alone the thought given to the regional economic impact?”

Mr Sumner said if air traffic control was removed from Invercargill Airport, it could end up operating similarly to airports at Timaru or Hokitika, which do not have an air traffic service but still receive passenger, freight and medical flights.

Airways is New Zealand’s principal navigation service provider and charges Air New Zealand for its services. But Air New Zealand had slashed scheduled services, grounded planes and up to 1500 people now faced losing their jobs, meaning air traffic services at Invercargill Airport and six other regional aerodromes were considered unviable, he said.

Mr Sumner said Air New Zealand had expressed support for a proposal to remove air control services at the seven airports.

Air New Zealand has confirmed it will resume flights between Invercargill and Christchurch under Alert Level 2, but no details of schedules have yet been released.