Pilots want full international standards followed. Photo / Reuters
Pilots want full international standards followed. Photo / Reuters
KEY POINTS:
Sydney Airport will go ahead with a runway safety upgrade despite pilots' groups saying the plan is inadequate and a larger safety zone is needed.
The A$65 million ($74 million) upgrade will extend the airport's east-west runway safety area by 90m at the Cooks River end, allowing moreroom for over-running aircraft.
The International Federation of Airline Pilots' Associations, which represents more than 100,000 pilots in almost 100 countries, says the extension is not great enough and proposes a 240m safety area.
"The federation's view is that nothing less than the 240m [safety area] recommended by ICAO [International Civil Aviation Organisation] will provide an adequate level of safety for air transport operations," the federation said.
It has asked Sydney Airport to consider lengthening the safety area or to look at using other safety measures, such as laying crushable concrete.
A Sydney Airport spokesman declined to comment but referred inquiries to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority.
"The standards in Australia that we have set are for the 90m runway," said Casa spokesman Peter Gibson.
"We have based that standard on the international standard ... and the work being conducted at Sydney is doing everything it's required to do under the regulations in Australia."
Australian and international pilots association general manager Peter Somerville said the minimum regulation length was not good enough.
"What Australia needs to do is maintain its traditionally high standards," Somerville told Macquarie Radio.
"Whilst on one hand Sydney Airport is happy to achieve those minimum standards, in the point of view of airline pilots that [minimum standard] needs to be upgraded."
The use of crushable concrete as an alternative measure was dismissed by Casa.
The runway will be closed from April when construction is due to start at its western end.
