Air Traffic in Western Australia

Perth, the capital city of Western Australia, is the world’s most isolated city, being as close to Singapore as Sydney. It is, therefore, highly dependent upon aviation for transport and communications.

Perth is one of Australia’s busiest international airports. While the state is home to about 5% of the Australian population, nearly 10% of all domestic passengers fly in and out of Perth. Because of its isolation, it serves as a "hub" whereby domestic and international flights tend to depart and converge on the hub at approximately the same time. This causes a heavy but transient strain on the ATC system.

Perth is also the base for a large “flyin-flyout” industry, which services the state’s huge mining and gas fields. Flyin-flyout operations are conducted with B737, B717, BA146, Fk100, Fk50, DH8, SW4, BE200, BE190, C414 and Brasilia aircraft.

This mix of international and domestic aircraft types, with different navigation equipment levels, cruising speeds and descent and climb characteristics, plus the airspace constrictions caused by air force and naval restricted areas, increases the complexity involved in separating traffic and constructing inbound landing sequences.

Jandakot, Perth’s general aviation airfield, is the busiest aerodrome in the Southern Hemisphere, with 372,000 movements in 2005. Movement records have been broken four times during 2006, with 1830 movements recorded on November 02. They have again been broken in 2007, with Friday 03 August recording 1901 movements in a 12-hour period

· The Royal Aero Club of Western Australia, the southern hemisphere’s biggest pilot training organization, resides here and has a satellite field, Murrayfield, further south near Mandurah.

· The Royal Flying Doctor Service has its main base at Jandakot, too, linking with bases at Kalgoorlie, Meekatharra, Port Hedland and Derby. Operating Pilatus PC12 and BE200 aircraft, its Western Operations looks after Australia's biggest medical waiting room, servicing 1.9 million people spread over 2.5 million square kilometres. More than 5000 WA patients are transferred by the RFDS each year, with the number of emergency flights increasing 40 per cent in the past five years. In October 2003 it carried out 505 transfers, well above the monthly average of 430, and on one day alone its aircraft travelled 27,000km.

In 2010, the RFDSWA, in partnership with Rio Tinto, will begin Australia's first dedicated medical jet operations. This reflects a 35% growth in medical evacuations from the Pilbara and Kimberlies in the last few years.

· Singapore Airlines has its own flying training college at Jandakot using C172’s and Be55’s.

· China Southern Airlines has a flying training college based at Merridin, east of Perth, using Grob115's, and Cessna C500’s which operate out of Jandakot.

Nearby RAAF Base Pearce is the Royal Australian Air Force’s main training base and its busiest, with major restricted areas north, west and south of the city. Flying training at 2FTS is conducted with Pilatus PC9’s. BAE Hawkes provide lead-in fighter training. The Republic of Singapore Air Force 130 Squadron is permanently based at Pearce, conducting low-level navigation training with Pilatus PC21 trainers.

Due to Western Australia's proximity to Asia, half of the Royal Australian Navy's fleet, including all of its submarine fleet, is based at HMAS Stirling at Garden Island, south of the city. Major exercises occur regularly in the Stirling Restricted Areas west of Perth with RAAF F18’s, F111’s, P3’s, Hawkes and Learjets operating from Pearce. The army's Special Air Service is based in Perth and regularly conducts training from DHC6 Caribou and C130’s around the state.

Fremantle, Perth's port at the mouth of the Swan River, is the first stopover for United States Navy carrier groups returning from the Persian Gulf to the USA. The Seaswap program allows exchange navy crews to fly into and out of Perth and maintenance to be carried out at HMAS Stirling, so that the the warships don't have to return to the USA. The carrier force takes the opportunity for high- and low-level navex training over southwestern WA and bombing and gunnery practice at the Lancelin range north of Perth.