Industry Outcomes

Performance

As the air navigation service provider responsible for 11 per cent of the global airspace, we are uniquely positioned to work with our customers, the broader industry, government and our regional neighbours to support the industry in turbulent times.

KPI Results

	2017-18 Result	2018-19 Result	2019-20 Target	2019-20 Result
Arrival airborne delay (high-volume operations)* The median (and 75th percentile) excess time incurred during the arrival airborne phase of flight in reference to the estimated time of arrival for high-volume operations. Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney are defined as high-volume operating environments.	0.6	0.7	0.6	0.9
	3.5	3.8	3.33	4.3
Customer satisfaction*			>70%	On Hold
Industry advocacy score Prior to 2019-20 we measured our customer advocacy as determined by the net promoter score.	-36	-25

Analysis

Results for both the median and 75th percentile arrival airborne delay were higher than target, at 18 seconds and 1 minute respectively. This result reflects challenging environmental conditions at various times throughout the year, including significant weather events and smoke from the bushfires reducing visibility, leading to delays and flight diversions. Ongoing infrastructure works at major airports at times compounded delays during busy periods. Given the intense disruption across the industry caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, we have deferred the annual customer satisfaction survey as we focus on working with our customers to ensure their needs are met during the recovery period and beyond. Our performance against these indicators demonstrates we continue to strive to be valued and accountable.

Achievements

Introduced price reduction of 2 per cent for airways service charges on 1 July 2019.
Supported the commissioning of two new runways at Brisbane and Sunshine Coast Airports through airspace design and other infrastructure requirements, including the completion of a new fire station at Brisbane Airport. These are critical projects to support South-East Queensland’s long-term economic growth.
As part of our Airspace Modernisation Program, two airspace change proposals came into effect on 21 May 2020. The changes include lowering Class E airspace nationally and approval to conduct a twelve month trial of Class E steps at Ayers Rock. These changes will help to facilitate safer access to our airspace for all users.
Completed contingency operation trials and the national deployment roadmap for the Digital Aerodrome Services, which will enhance service delivery and resilience and improve safety outcomes.

Case Study

Support of Co-Ordinated Bushfire Response

The 2019-20 bushfire season was devastating for the Australian community. By November 2019, there were numerous fires nationwide, including two mega-fires, one of which was the largest bushfire ever recorded in Australia. These events led to the largest co-ordinated deployment of state, Commonwealth and international fire and emergency personnel in our nation’s history.

Airservices was proud to support these efforts. We committed 17 specialist fire fighting vehicles and approximately 210 frontline firefighters, or 22 per cent of our personnel, from across Australia. Our people were embedded in multi-agency incident management teams and control centres, which were responsible for fire control and recovery in Eastern Victoria.

Our air traffic controllers kept our skies safe, managing over 26,600 extra flights in November and December 2019 compared to the same period in 2018. This was amidst the challenging environmental conditions created by the bushfire season, with thick smoke and explosive storms frequently disrupting flight operations. In addition, 500 aircraft engaged in aerial fire fighting operations across Australia, adding to the complexity of the situation.

The various state and Commonwealth agencies involved in the response praised the effectiveness and professionalism of our fire fighting teams. Most importantly, our people remained safe throughout these efforts, with no significant injuries reported.