More Media coverage of the Air Traffic Control staffing problems from Crikey.com warns of potential problems for the Perth area over this month:

Launceston Control Tower was closed basically for all of the last two days due to shortages of staff. Now sectors are being put under pressure, here is a list of the vacant shifts for the next few days in what we call "WEST RADAR" Group; remember no one has gone sick yet (yet if there are closures it will be "the reason", I'm sure):

4/2 0600-1330, 0730-1530 5/2 0600-1330, 1300-2100, 2230-0600, 2330-0600 6/2 0900-1700, 1530-2330, 2230-0600 7/2 1500-2300, 1430-2200, 8/2 1430-2200, 9/2 1300-2000, 1500-2300, 2230-0600 10/2 0600-1330, 0800-1600, 2330-0615 11/2 2230-0600, 2330-0615 12/2 1400-2200, 2230-0600 13/2 0600-1330, 0730-1530, 1400-2200, 2330-0615 14/2 2230-0600, 2330-0615, 0730-1530, 1430-2200. This will undoubtedly result in closed airspace or at the very best extremely reduced throughput of traffic into and out of Perth. What is CASA doing? Nothing at all, of course they are only the safety regulator, right?