Staffing crisis leaves Australian control towers empty

One pilot reported seeing where other planes were by using the plane’s Wi-Fi to check Flightradar24. (Image: Bloomberg)

Tue, 25 Jun 2024

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 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.On Australia’s northeast coast, the airport...

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