RFDS pilots make highway landings as key Nullarbor airstrip still unsealed

The Eucla Airstrip, a crucial landing point for aircraft along the Nullarbor Plain, remains unsealed despite years of persistent lobbying. The airfield becomes unusable during wet weather, forcing RFDS planes to make hazardous landings on the Eyre Highway. The Shire of Dundas attributes the project delays to planning and funding issues.

Despite RFDS receiving a $3.3 million allocation in the 2024 state budget for the upgrade, bureaucratic and planning obstacles have hindered the project's progress. On October 7, a strong storm front closed the airstrip, prompting an RFDS pilot to land on the hazardous highway for an urgent patient transfer from Eucla's nursing post to Kalgoorlie Hospital.

The narrow road, measuring only about 9 meters wide, required extra preparation, including a low pass to assess the road surface and traffic before landing. RFDS pilot Elias Hoch emphasized the challenges faced during the road landing, stating that it felt like flying on a skinny runway, adding a layer of complexity to the maneuver.

The Shire of Dundas president, Laurene Bonza, has been lobbying for the upgrade for about 15 years, expressing frustration over the slow progress. The state government has confirmed that funding remains available, but the project necessitates a full redesign, environmental clearance, and the resolution of native title permissions.

Shire president Cr. Bonza argued that native title clearance had been completed multiple times, and the need for redesigns had been invalidated. Eucla Roadhouse owner Rasa Patupis, who has lived on the border for 60 years, has been advocating for the upgrade for nearly three decades. She recounted a case where a patient with suspected appendicitis endured an 11-hour ambulance journey to Kalgoorlie, highlighting the dire consequences of the airstrip's unsealing during critical times.

Local resident Katherine O Dea, who grew up on the Nullarbor, emphasized the logistical nightmares faced by the community, stressing that the airstrip's functionality is a matter of life and death.