Airservices Australia Wins 'Oscars' of International Airline Industry

Airservices Australia has received a prestigious international award for its work in air traffic management, safety and the environment, Anthony Albanese, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government announced today.

Mr Albanese said that Airservices, the federal agency responsible for air traffic control had been awarded the 34^th annual Aviation Technology Achievement Award for 2008 by the United States-based Air Transport World Magazine.

"The Airline Industry Achievement Awards are considered to be the 'Oscars' of the international airline industry and recognise excellence in the global commercial airline industry.

"This major award is a tribute to the hard work of Airservices staff in improving the safety and efficiency of air travel in Australia and regionally.

"Only two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to open a new and cutting-edge Airservices Australia training simulator at Melbourne Airport to expand the skills of the nation's air traffic controllers, pilots and technicians.

"Airservices has long been recognised as a world leader in improving the safety of the travelling public by developing and adopting new aviation technologies, including surveillance, communications, safety monitoring and air traffic management tools.

"In recent years, Airservices has also put considerable effort into improving the efficiency of air traffic management to help alleviate the impact of aviation emissions on the environment," Mr Albanese concluded.

Perry Flint, the magazine's Editorial Director, said Airservices was a leader in a number of crucial aviation safety areas.

"Among its achievements is participation in the first commercial landing using the GNSS Global Landing System; its innovative use of Flex Tracks, providing airlines with more efficient routings that reduce fuel burn and CO2 emissions; and the rollout of Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast in Australia," Mr Flint said.

The magazine's Awards edition issue said Airservices was "setting the pace in a host of important technologies and operational procedures while safely managing airspace over 11% of Earth's surface".

"For its continuous focus and pioneering efforts in delivering the latest technology while working with airlines to reduce navigation charges, Airservices Australia is a deserving recipient of ATW's Aviation Technology Achievement Award."

The award will be presented at a Gala Awards Presentation in Singapore on 18 February 2008.