Private firm brought in as stopgap measure after dramatic cuts in flying hours at Baldonnel

A PRIVATE COMPANY will employ some former Irish Air Corps personnel to act as nighttime airfield controllers in order to keep the military flying, The Journal has learned.

The Irish Air Corps was forced to shift to a part-time twelve hour and five-day-week at the start of the summer due to a shortfall of qualified controllers at its Baldonnel, Co Dublin base.

This was because a number of experienced operators were leaving for higher paid jobs in the private sector.  

Under the new plan, qualified personnel will be paid to work as airfield controllers at Baldonnel when the military controllers are not available. It’s expected some commercial pilots will take up the work, including some former Air Corps personnel, and the rate will be €500 a shift. 

The contract with the private company is understood to be 12 months in duration and is designed to fill the gap until new military staff can be trained in the Irish Air Corps to take up the job.  

It is believed the system would work at night to keep Baldonnel functioning on a 24-hour basis.

Cutbacks

A number of controllers had left the military for better paid jobs in the private sector in recent months, prompting the cut to hours of operation earlier this year. 

Sources described the issue as the primary reason the airbase had to shut down at night and the weekends. 

The Government introduced a special retention payment scheme after the issue came to light but there is still a problem associated with an inadequate number of controllers to do the job. 

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The latest solution is that a private company, staffed by a number of former Irish Air Corps personnel, has been brought in to provide a service.

It is understood they will not be fully functioning air traffic controllers, instead running a reduced operation known staffed by Flight Information Service Officers (FISOs).

A FISO is a qualified person who provides information to pilots when there is no fully qualified and functioning air traffic control system at an airfield. FISOs are present, for instance, in Sligo to assist the Coast Guard helicopter to fly. 

The issue with the system is that it has much tighter regulations on when flying can take place. For example, as one source said, if an aircraft like the Garda helicopter was sent on a flight and bad weather struck it may not be able to return to Baldonnel but could go elsewhere, like Dublin Airport. 

It is the latest civilianisation of military functions at the airbase. Another company is providing ground staff for dealing with aircraft movements. These staff include former Irish Air Corps personnel. 

Cathal Berry, a former TD and military officer, said that the civilianisation solution is what’s needed at the moment.

“It would be preferable to have serving military personnel to do this work and to retain those members. This should be what the Irish Air Corps reserve should be about but there is no reserve. 

“Reserves would be like subs on the bench and they can backfill if required – the other option is to civilianise.”

In a statement the Department of Defence said that the move is part of steps to “allow for the restoration of full operational activities”.

“These included a number of HR initiatives, most notably the introduction of a new Service Commitment scheme aimed specifically at ATC personnel. In parallel and with the agreement of military management an external service provider has been engaged to provide Flight Information Service Officer (FISO) services at the Aerodrome.

“This is a short term measure which will allow for resumption of 24 hour operational activity while also affording the Air Corps the time needed to build up their ATC resilience,” a spokesman said. 

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