The brand new Thales Australia World Trade Centre offices were officially opened by Defence Minister Christopher Pyne in Melbourne, paving the way for further progress in the OneSKY project.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development, Michael McCormack said the offices, which have undergone a $12 million redevelopment, will be home to the OneSKY project team developing the common Civil Military Air Traffic Management System for the Department of Defence and Airservices Australia.
“This facility will be used to develop the most advanced and integrated air traffic control system in the world,” Mr McCormack said.
“The system will manage forecasted growth of air traffic movement in Australia, by as much as 60 per cent by 2030, minimising delays for the travelling public.
“Under OneSKY, Australia will be better able to handle forecast air traffic growth which will reduce congestion and open up more efficient air routes to reduce flight times and fuel costs.”
Minister Pyne said that OneSKY is a world-first and has been developed in Australia by Australians.
“The OneSKY project will transform Australia’s air traffic management system and national infrastructure in the sky, ensuring the travelling public arrive at their destination safely and with minimal delays,” Mr Pyne said.
“This office will support up to 550 specialist high-tech jobs in Melbourne across the Land and Air Traffic Management businesses, building Australian skills in complex project management, systems engineering and software development.
“A further 200 Australian job opportunities are expected in the Australian supply chain. In fact, around 75 per cent of the OneSKY acquisition cost and 95 per cent of the ongoing annual support costs will be to Australian companies.”
“These jobs will contribute to the development of an integrated system that will manage more than 11 per cent of global airspace and some of the world’s busiest air routes.”
“This project will replace the ageing military air traffic management systems and is essential to ensuring our Defence Forces can continue to operate seamlessly in Australia’s airspace.”
