“Unidentified Victim’s Name: Investigation Reveals Safety Breach at Essendon Airport”

In 1971, Essendon Airport in Melbourne, Australia, reduced its strip width from 300 meters to 180 meters after international flights moved to the new Melbourne Airport at Tullamarine. This information was given to pilots to inform their safety and operational decisions. However, a recent investigation by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has revealed that the airport may not have adequately determined if it could still use the 1970s standard when it submitted plans for the development of a retail precinct in 2004.

According to the ATSB’s report, it is “unlikely” that the airport properly assessed its ability to use the 180-meter clearance zone when seeking approval for the new retail precinct. The report also states that there is no evidence that the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) granted the airport a concession to use the 180-meter standard.

Captain Marcus Diamond, a safety and technical manager at the Australian Federation of Air Pilots, agrees with the ATSB’s findings and believes that the airport ignored regulations intended to protect aviation activity and safety. He expressed concerns about overdevelopment at airports across the country and called for stricter processes to ensure the protection of aerodrome operations.

The ATSB’s investigation revealed that Essendon Airport relied on incorrect advice from CASA regarding the strip width in 2003. CASA later confirmed that the advice was wrong and had no legal validity. The investigation also found that the airport and CASA did not consider all relevant risk information when deciding to revert the runway back to a 180-meter strip in 2019.

The ATSB’s report raises questions about the safety and compliance of the development at Essendon Airport. While the investigation did not find that the retail precinct was unsafe or should not have been built, it highlighted the need for greater safety assurance and stricter processes to protect aerodrome operations..