Airservices Australia will continue to provide a Safety Alerting Service (SAS) to cover Mangalore Airport after a report by the CASA Office of Airspace Regulation (OAR) failed to call for a Mandatory Broadcast Area.
Airservices established the SAS to cover Mangalore whilst the OAR completed its aeronautical study, which was published this week. The study did not support an MBA around the airport, which would have been necessary for Airservices to set-up a Surveillance Flight Information Service (SFIS) similar to that operating at Ballina-Byron in NSW.
The SAS was supposed to be an interim measure until an SFIS could start operating.
"The draft [OAR report] has determined that a MBA is not required, however, we continue to provide an enhanced service with a dedicated controller monitoring the CTAF and providing safety alerts as necessary," an Airservices Australia spokesperson told Australian Flying.
"From 0800-1800 local time, Airservices is providing a dedicated, sector endorsed controller to monitor the Mangalore CTAF 121.1 MHz from a stand-alone console within the Melbourne ATSC.
"The controller will only provide safety alerts as per AIP GEN 3.3 Section 3.5 but will not provide safety alerts between aircraft conducting circuits at Mangalore.
"The provision of FIS remains the responsibility of the Area Controller on 122.4. The CTAF Monitor's responsibility is to provide Safety Alerts on 121.1 for Mangalore when required.
"This is not a CA/GRS and Safety Alerting is already covered by AIP ... within Class G airspace and within Airservices’ provider certificates.
"The only difference which should be seamless to pilots is that during the hours of operation of the Safety Alerting Service they will receive a safety alert if required on CTAF."
CASA has been contacted about the reasons why the MBA was not recommended.