Airservices Australia’s ARFFS deficiencies to ICAO SARPS
Airservices Australia's staffing issues continue to plague Australian aviation. The AFAP S&T team has collaborated with the United Firefighters Union of Australia Aviation Branch (UFUAv) to assess the extent of the problem and its potential implications for our members, including contingency planning for lack of any level of ARFFS.
Airservices Australia's staffing issues continue to significantly impact Australian aviation. Short notice activations of the TIBA/TRA contingency airspace and inadequate Aviation Rescue and Fire Fighting Services (ARFFS) protection at various aerodromes across the country are major concerns for our members and overall aviation safety.
In the past two years, several airports where Airservices Australia provide ARFFS (Provider-Certificate-ARFFS_CASA-139H_0007.pdf (airservicesaustralia.com)) have experienced a lowered category of protection provided (promulgated by NOTAM), leaving any departing and arriving aircraft in higher category (i.e. with a longer and/or wider fuselage) than cat of ARFFS provided vulnerable to an elevated risk of a fire outbreak with inability to contain it due to insufficient firefighter numbers available at an aerodrome.
Both AFAF and UFUAv have expressed their concerns about inadequate rescue and firefighting protection levels at many aerodromes, with some of the examples being as follows:
- Melbourne – cat 10 aircraft operates to/from the airport but only cat 9 ARFFS is provided (aerodrome has been approved for cat 9 by CASA),
- Gold Coast – cat 9 aircraft operates to/from the airport but only cat 7 ARFFS is provided (aerodrome has been approved for cat 8 by CASA),
- Brisbane and Perth – cat 10 aircraft operates to/from the airport but only cat 9 ARFFS is provided (aerodrome has been approved for cat 10 during nominated times by CASA),
- Hobart – cat 7 aircraft operates to/from Hobart but only cat 6 ARFFS is provided,
- Gladstone – cat 6 aircraft operates to/from the airport but only cat 5 ARFFS is provided.
The worst case scenarios with nil ARFFS available to aircraft happened in Cairns (cat 8) Launceston, Sunshine Coast and Hamilton Island (cat 7) in the few months. ARFFS had to withdraw their protection for delayed flights due to firefighter staff shortages and their inability to extend further already extended shifts. This impacted several arriving and departing aircraft operated by Air Asia, Bonza, Jetstar, Qantas and Virgin.
Whilst the investigation into inadequate ARFFS continues, the AFAP urges members to incorporate contingency planning whenever they fly to any of the mentioned aerodromes or plan them as alternates. This is of particular importance when any delays in aircraft departures or arrivals are expected as the reduced (or nil) ARFF protection levels may happen at short notice.
The AFAP is considering escalating the issue to CASA and IFALPA if Airservices Australia's compliance with ICAO SARPS regarding ARFFS delivery is found to be deficient.