New figures released to 1 NEWS have revealed the extent of the staffing shortage at Napier’s Air Traffic control tower which has forced delays and cancellations.
1 NEWS reported last year Napier's control tower was unmanned four times during two weeks of September.
However, fast forward to December and the tower was unmanned 13 times.
This year it's been 29 times in January and nine in the first half of February.
It’s included six full days where no one has been in the control tower.
When unmanned the tower is forced into contingency procedures, where air traffic is managed safely from outside of the region..
Private Pilot Gerald Grocott says it’s not dangerous but that means only one plane is allowed in the airspace at a time.
"When air traffic control are not there we have to go back to a procedural operation and this causes delays a lot of delays…. it means airplanes have to carry more fuel less payload."
The increased frequency is frustrating the New Zealand Airline Pilot's Association who told 1 NEWS in a statement that it’s compromising the safe and efficient conduct of flights and fear it could potentially impact safety if an inflight emergency was to take place.
"Airline training schools, also trying to remedy the current pilot shortage, are impacted as well because there is less air traffic capacity available and training flights may be suspended during closures.
"We question the business model applied to controlling New Zealand's airspace, and see it as flawed. The government appears to place dividend maximisation ahead of a world class, safe, efficient and reliable airspace system with the SOE model they use," NZALPA President Tim Robinson said.
Three of the region's five controllers have been unavailable for work.
Causing not only delays, but cancellations that've inconvenienced travellers.
Clinton Green travels from Napier to connect to international flights for his regular humanitarian work. He says it’s frustrating.
"I’ve now decided when I travel overseas I go up the day before."
Local MP for Tukituki Lawrence Yule says it’s not good enough as the airport’s passenger numbers reach record amounts and the airport expands it’s terminal.
"The 7th busiest airport in the country and yet half the time we have nobody in the control tower."
Airways NZ who manages air traffic controllers and towers says the situation is highly unusual.
"I’ve not seen this level of unprecedented disruption before at all, anywhere in my career," Airways NZ Tim Boyle told 1 NEWS.
He says despite a shortage of controllers they have managed to second staff to the region to cover the shifts.
"I have already two staff posted into Napier on a temporary basis and I’ve got a third who started last week and I’ll have a fourth in a week's time."
But Mr Yule believes that isn’t how a state owned enterprise should be running.
"When you've got a state owned enterprise running a monopoly the performance needs to be way greater than and way better than it currently is."
Airways has apologised for any travellers inconvienced by the issue.
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