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COMMENTS FROM ATIA CEO DEAN LONG ON AIRSERVICES AUSTRALIA

Alpha Consult

10 August 2026:

“Airservices Australia is the last major part of Australia’s aviation sector still struggling to recover from COVID. Airlines, airports and the broader travel industry have rebuilt their workforces and operations, but Airservices continues to be a major choke point for Australian aviation.”

“Staff shortages and processes that are not match-fit for today are causing significant disruption for airlines, airports, travel businesses and, ultimately, Australian travellers. Five years after COVID, this simply cannot continue.”

“There needs to be far greater transparency from Airservices about what is driving these ongoing problems and, most importantly, a clear plan to fix them.”

“Whether the answer is more staff, better training or improved processes, Airservices needs to lift its performance urgently and get the system operating at the level Australians and international visitors deserve.”

 

 

About us:

ABOUT ATIA

The Australian Travel Industry Association (ATIA) is the peak body representing Australia’s $70.6 billion travel industry. ATIA represents the majority of Australian travel agents, corporate agents, tour operators, wholesalers, and ITOs.

 

In the 2025/2026 financial year, ATIA members transacted $26.9 billion in Total Transaction Value (TTV) of retail bookings, $6.5 billion of corporate bookings, and $7.5 billion of land operations. Typically, the vast majority of all international air sales and over 90% of corporate sales in Australia are through our members, rather than directly through airlines. Furthermore, out of the 1.45 million Australians who took an ocean cruise this year, the significant majority used a travel advisor to book. An impressive 92% of ATIA members are small businesses, with women making up 72% of the sector's dynamic workforce.

ATIA administers the ATIA Accredited programme, which remains the largest and most representative accreditation scheme for travel businesses across Australia. 22% of businesses that submitted applications to become ATIA accredited were rejected as they did not meet the eligibility criteria. ATIA proudly represents 19,167 agency employees and 13,799 land supply employees nationwide, directly supporting 21.96 million Australian travellers every single year. There are 1100 ATIA-accredited members across 1700 locations. To find or verify an ATIA accredited business, visit traveltick.com.au.

 

Contact details:

MEDIA CONTACT: LJ Loch, ATIA DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA 0488 038 555 or [email protected]