No. 1 Air Terminal Squadron

Role

1ATS provides air terminal support at fixed base and forward-deployed locations, supporting various strategic and tactical air logistics support, airborne (paratroop and air-land), aero-medical evacuation and other special mission operations.

The main roles of 1ATS are to provide:

• passenger handling services, including reception, processing, documentation, briefings, general passenger administration, manifest completion, and baggage and personal equipment handling;

• cargo handling services, including cargo preparation and security, receipting, documenting, manifest completion, construction of loads on aircraft pallets and other handling aids, and application of cargo restraint equipment where necessary;

• loading and unloading of aircraft;

• load control services, including load planning, aircraft paperwork collation, weight and balance compilation, and aircraft arrival and departure advice; and

• other tarmac operations tasks, including aircraft reception and dispatch, marshalling and parking, and coordination of aircraft services.

History

1ATS was formed on 19 January 1999 to provide air terminal support to the ADF. 1ATS is a geographically dispersed unit comprising a headquarters at RAAF Base Richmond and eight 1ATS Detachments (1ATS DETs) at RAAF Bases Richmond, Pearce, Darwin, Tindal, Townsville, Amberley, Williamtown and most recently Edinburgh.

In its short but proud history, 1ATS has been involved in a large number of ADF operations, including providing support to the International Force East Timor, the United Nations Transitional Administration - East Timor, peace operations in Bougainville, and operations in the Middle East.

More recently, 1ATS has been called upon to provide assistance supporting other types of operations, such as Bali Assist, the Solomon Islands, Operation Sumatra Assist (in the wake of the Boxing Day 2004 tsunami) and the Pakistani earthquake relief effort.

Equipment Involved

C-130 Hercules

Location

No. 1 Air Terminal Squadron is based at RAAF Base Richmond. Our address is:

Headquarters No. 1 Air Terminal Squadron
Building 180
RAAF Base Richmond
Richmond NSW 2755