Airservices is a government-owned corporation providing safe, secure, efficient and environmentally responsible services to the aviation industry. We manage air traffic operations for around 75 million passengers on more than three million flights every year.

Profile of a terminal area controller

Wayne Redman

Hi, my name is Wayne Redman and I work as a Terminal Area (Departures) controller at Kingsford Smith Airport in Sydney.

I have worked and trained as air traffic controller for nearly nine years.  Originally working with the Royal Australian Air Force, I joined Airservices as an experienced controller in mid 2008 and was posted to Sydney after completing a three week military to civil conversion course in Melbourne.

Terminal controllers, both departures and approach, control the immediate area in and around major airfields. At Sydney, this extends to radius of 45 nautical miles and to a height of 28,000 feet.  All aircraft within these boundaries are afforded a service by the terminal controller.  The level of service provided differs depending on the flight category of the aircraft and class of airspace in which they are operating.

Sydney, like all major international airports, has a very high volume of traffic.  Whilst most aircraft operating into Sydney are larger passenger carrying aircraft, we also control other operations such as helicopters, business jets, survey flights and parachuting.  Because of this high volume, most traffic at Sydney operates in a very structured and regulated way. Whether they are departing or arriving, most aircraft follow planned flight routes and standard procedures, this makes them easier to separate and allows us to process a larger volume of traffic.  Weather, medical priority flights and emergencies can increase the complexity of these procedures; however, we manage our workload accordingly to ensure both safety and expedition.

Within the terminal area we can have up to ten controllers operating at any one time. This sort of environment requires a lot of teamwork and co-ordination and it also allows us to distribute the workload and focus on our own particular areas.

Working as a terminal area controller is both enjoyable and rewarding.  Each day is different and allows you to continually learn and develop your abilities and skills.