A NEW $850,000 instrument landing system (ILS) in Albany will provide flight operators reliable air travel to the region in all weather.
A NEW $850,000 instrument landing system (ILS) in Albany will provide flight operators reliable air travel to the region in all weather.
The ILS is predicted to significantly reduce the number of costly diversions from the Albany airport due to bad conditions.
This will benefit tourism and business in the region and also provide the community with a more reliable medical service to Perth.
Installed by New Zealand firm Radiola Defence and Aerospace, the facility was installed to provide an all weather capability for regional passenger transport.
“The ILS will make air travel to the region much more certain,” City of Albany manager assets and client services Jon Esslemont said.
“We currently miss about one per cent of flights because of bad weather, and it’s Murphy’s law, that one per cent is always important business or a medical flight,” Mr Esslemont said.
Apart from the Perth Airport, the Albany ILS is the first non-military system in WA.
Completed in early November 2000, the ILS will allow craft to fly to the region without carrying costly extra fuel necessary to power them back to Perth if the conditions are bad.
It’s claimed the ILS will ensure all flights can land in Albany significantly reducing overhead costs for operators to the area.
The ILS will also provide a pilot training facility for both military and private pilots.
It was funded by the State Government’s Southern Province Regional Development Authority.
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