Airservices Australia has released its Australian Aviation Network Overview report for May 2024.
Highlights include:
- In May 2024, the Australian aviation network recorded minimal growth in terms of daily average flights. Our industry continues to rebalance to a more stable seasonal trend, with softening demand following the peak Easter holiday season.
- Overall industry on-time performance showed a notable 15 per cent improvement over the first four months of 2024, and the cancellation rate has dropped to its long-term benchmark. This suggests that cross-industry efforts to prioritise service reliability are delivering benefits through measures such as active recruitment, streamlining procedures and strengthening responses to disruptions.
- We are also focused on enhancing network predictability by tightening governance around Ground Delay Programs (GDP) and refining demand/capacity balancing processes using recently deployed analytics technology. Monthly ground delays at the major airports that drive network performance have decreased by over 160 hours, or ~25 per cent, compared to the earlier months of the financial year, without adversely impacting airborne delays. Industry compliance increased by four per cent compared to the last twelve-month averages. There was no ad-hoc GDP applied at Brisbane in May.
- The overall air traffic management outcomes in May returned to the level seen at the beginning of 2024, largely due to unplanned staff unavailability along with high levels of air traffic control (ATC) training related to the airspace volumes around Sydney and Perth. We are actively prioritising the cross-training, recruitment and utilisation of experienced air traffic controllers, targeting locations that drive network outcomes and require higher levels of resilience.
We are further refining training processes to increase speed to competency, scheduling training activities outside peak traffic demand periods and progressing endorsement reform to increase flexibility and minimise industry disruptions. Building layers of resilience and embedding service first approach remain a priority to drive sustainable improvement.
About Airservices
Airservices Australia is the Federal Government-owned organisation responsible for the safety of 11 per cent of the world's airspace and the provision of aviation rescue fire fighting services at Australia's busiest airports. We work closely with our customers and industry to support the long-term growth of the aviation industry and are investing in technologies to position Australia at the forefront of innovation in the global aviation industry.
