But staffing at the Tamworth tower is set to be cut back from next month, and the tower will no longer cover weekends, according to service provider Airservices Australia.

Weekend flight information services will be instead be performed by Airservices' Brisbane centre, "as per existing practices" a spokesperson for the company said.

The company says the service cuts are temporary and blames them on "the impact of COVID-19 on traffic levels."

READ MORE:

Executive secretary for air traffic controllers' union Civil Air Peter McGuane agreed, saying there is "no suggestion there will be closures" at any regional tower.

"We've been meeting with the employer Airservices Australia on a weekly basis to assess the impact of the downturn and what that means for specific locations," he said.

"We've formed a dedicated group to deal with regional areas."

Keeping the tower operational is essential to Tamworth's plans to be a hub for international pilot training, he said.

Mr McGuane said he has heard "rumours and that's all they are" that the service reductions are part of a broader strategy to permanently cut back or close regional services.

But he said he was confident the cuts would only last long as the coronavirus pandemic, though nobody can yet give a date as to when the COVID-19 crisis will fully end.

"I can't give you an absolute date as to when we think things will be returned to normal but we're committed to the fact that there needs to be a professional air traffic control service at Tamworth and at other regional locations around the country. They provide an essential service."

Want more local news? Subscribe to the Leader to read it here first

Tamworth has long worked to attract training pilots, and hundreds of local and international pilots train at CAE and BAE schools at the airport.

So important is the training industry to the city, Tamworth could soon become one of the first places in Australia to reopen its borders to international students.

A staffed air traffic control tower is "essential" to that industry, according to Mr McGuane.

The tower also employs about eight or nine staff.

A spokesperson for Airservices said the company has been consulting with customers and stakeholders about the temporary reduction in services.

"All changes planned are a direct response to the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic is having on current traffic demand. There are no plans for permanent cuts to services or tower closures," they said.

Flight numbers at regional airports have actually been affected less than in some capital cities, which are heavily dominated by passenger air traffic, Mr McGuane said. At some metropolitan airports traffic has declined by as much as 90 per cent.

Sign up to receive The Leader's breaking news and top stories straight to your inbox.