Western Sydney International Airport faces flight curbs due to camera issues

Technical issues with digital camera quality at Western Sydney International Airport are forcing increased safety separations between landing aircraft. Poor image resolution prevents air traffic controllers, located 17 kilometres away, from clearly seeing planes on approach, with one source describing the distant aircraft on screens as looking “like mosquitoes.”

To maintain safety, controllers must keep aircraft at least 15 nautical miles apart during landing. This is significantly higher than the four to five nautical mile separation typically required at traditional manned towers. This restriction could lead to seven-minute intervals between landings, potentially limiting the airport's capacity and causing passenger delays when operations ramp up later this year.

The issue arises as Airservices Australia faces existing scrutiny regarding controller shortages and recent near-collisions at Sydney Airport.