Multiple air traffic controllers have raised a concern regarding the removal of dedicated meteorologists to the Sydney Airport Meteorology Unit (SAMU). The reporters state that prior to the pandemic, meteorologists were dedicated to Sydney forecasting which was essential for sequencing, planning for flow of arrivals and departures and runway selections.
The reporters state that since the removal of the meteorologists, forecasts are so frequently late and incorrect, that the forecasts are now considered a hindrance and not helpful at all. Winds are routinely forecast for completely opposite directions and forecasting for weather systems are received, on average, 10 minutes after they have arrived. The reporters state that it is at the point that the incorrect forecasts being issued are actually a hindrance and it would be more beneficial to not receive them at all. The reporters advise that the Bureau of Meteorology is also providing forecasting advice over the phone different than what is in the TAF.
The consequences of inaccurate forecasts have obvious safety implications for flight crew, specifically fuel and alternate aerodrome planning.
The reporters state that having no ability to plan for a runway change or reduce/increase traffic flow rates, or to advise flight crew of conditions that may affect their arrival, adds unnecessary workload and unnecessary risk in an environment that is already experiencing unprecedent workloads. Due to the parallel runways at Sydney, unforecast wind conditions results in many more aircraft needing to immediately change runways than at other major airports, which creates a greater chance for controller error and places a significant amount of stress on the sector controller to immediately hold those aircraft.
The reporters are seeking an urgent review of the current service provided by the Bureau of Meteorology to Airservices, particularly at Sydney.
The ATSB notes that multiple incident reports have been received from air traffic controllers through mandatory reporting that reflect the above concerns.
Bureau of Meteorology
The Bureau of Meteorology (Bureau) provides Aviation Meteorological Services in accordance with ICAO Annex 3 and under an agreed service with the aviation industry, including Airservices Australia (Airservices). This
defines the accuracy and timeliness requirements of our service provision. The Bureau provides services supporting Sydney Airport within the timeframes required under these service agreements and regularly consults with the aviation industry, including Airservices, on these metrics.
In May 2021, in order to align with changes as outlined by Airservices, the Bureau transitioned its Sydney Airport Met Unit (SAMU) services into our existing aviation forecasting centres. This transition supported a nationally consistent service provision to all capital city ports, and further integration with the Airservices Network Coordination Centre.
In accordance with the Bureau's delivery of Aviation Meteorological Services under the ISO 9001:2015 quality management system, the Bureau continues to work closely with Airservices, and the broader aviation industry, to continually review and improve its service provision and address any safety concerns. The Bureau is not aware of any outstanding safety concerns raised in relation to Sydney Airport.
Airservices Australia
Airservices appreciates the opportunity to respond to the concerns raised in the REPCON regarding incorrect weather forecasts. The Sydney Airport Meteorological Unit (SAMU) was removed from the Sydney Terminal Control Unit (TCU) to align meteorological services provided to Sydney with services provided to other capital city ports nationally. This includes the transition of runway configuration control from Sydney TCU Controllers (who were previously supported by the SAMU Bureau Forecasters), to tower controllers who hold an Aeronautical Meteorological Observer Certificate issued by the Bureau of Meteorology.
The tower controller nominates the runway(s) or direction to be used after coordination with approach controllers. The Bureau’s meteorological forecasts, including the TAF3 product and process undergo continuous improvement in both how it is developed and how it is updated and distributed to support improved planning. Airservices and the Bureau regularly meet to discuss the quality of the product and explore any improvement opportunities. There are various feedback channels supporting this process, including our internal reporting system, CIRRIS, and existing direct channels to the Bureau.
To further assist with planning, the Airservices Network Coordination Centre, supported by the Bureau and the Airline Aviation Meteorology units have developed a product to give greater hour by hour fidelity in relation to weather conditions in and around Sydney airport, including wind strength, direction, visibility and probable runway changes and configuration.
Airservices will continue to work with the Bureau on the introduction of new technology and information to assist in the accurate and up to date reporting of weather. This includes the planned introduction of Wind Shear Alerting directly to SY Tower (TWR) from new equipment recently installed by Sydney Airport and the Automated Aerodrome Observations being installed by the Bureau at all its current locations.
CASA is aware of the changes to SAMU and understands the importance of accurate and timely meteorological information. Whilst CASA does not regulate the BoM, CASA does monitor how BoM products are utilised by
Airservices in delivering its services. CASA encourages the continued cooperation between the Bureau, Airservices and their shared customers to identify and resolve any concerns.
The reporter advises that the responses from Airservices Australia and the Bureau of Meteorology do not fully address the concern that reliable weather forecasts are not available resulting in last minute runway changes. Further, the reporter advises that the Aeronautical Meteorological Observer Certificate held by Tower Controllers is only of use when observing current weather conditions. This does not assist controllers in understanding weather conditions yet to arrive.