A GROUND-BREAKING project that will help the military reduce costs and address a shortage of air traffic controllers is under way in Perth.

Airservices Australia and the Royal Australian Air Force have housed their air traffic control services in a single terminal as a first step in a nationwide project to join forces.

The terminal provides air traffic control services for Perth, Pearce RAAF Base and Jandakot Airport using controllers from both organisations.

Known as Project Genesis, the initiative aims to move to a single national air traffic management as well as common training, licensing and maintenance. It is also evaluating the provision of other services to the RAAF, such as radar surveillance.

"We've never been able to recruit and retain the total number of air traffic controllers under our current model," RAAF deputy chief Air Vice-Marshal John Blackburn said this week.

"What I see would happen down the line is that we would find better ways of doing it and in some cases some functions would be totally outsourced to Airservices.

"In others they would be integrated but in the end we would be able to run both systems in a partnership and have enough uniformed military air traffic controllers to do the job we need in specific areas but also support and rotate overseas deployments."

The next phase of the project aims to integrate approach services at RAAF Tindal and Darwin airbase into Airservices' Brisbane air traffic control centre.

Airservices chief executive Greg Russell said the official unveiling yesterday of the integrated terminal control unit in Perth had been subject to significant review and consideration over many years.

Mr Russell said the joint operations would lead to more flexibility for airlines and better use of military airspace.

The joint program would also ultimately lead to cost savings for both organisations but there was no definitive number at this stage.

"We believe that with the work we've done the savings will be substantial, I think we can say that," he said. "But it's going to take some years before we really get the full benefits of this."

Air Vice-Marshal Blackburn said the project was proceeding carefully so that any issues arising from the project could be dealt with.

He said the Perth integration had provided some invaluable lessons.

"I think the issue is here that we've improved the interface between the two sets of approach controllers," he said.

"We've got to make sure that we don't lose the interface between the approach controller and the tower.

"And because they're currently different platforms, we've got to make sure as we migrate that we don't lose something."