Transportation
Pilots Fear Collisions as Staffing Crisis Leaves Australian Control Towers Empty
- An accident would come as no surprise, Qantas pilot says
- Darwin Airport has zero air traffic control services overnight
A Qantas aircraft takes off from Sydney Airport.
Photographer: Brendon Thorne/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Concerns among pilots about a possible mid-air collision are spilling over in Australia as a shortage of air traffic controllers leaves airport towers unmanned, forcing passenger jets to fend for themselves.
There are currently no overnight air traffic control services at Darwin, a northern gateway for carriers including Qantas Airways Ltd. and Virgin Australia. Schedules show that at around midnight almost every day, more than a dozen flights have to arrive or depart with almost no guidance from the ground.