Pour garder des contrôleur certains ont des idées ...

Darwin's experienced air traffic controllers are to get a $30,000 bonus to stay on the job for one more year.

Federal Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon said the loss of air traffic controllers  was a "real concern".

He announced his national $6 million package at Darwin control tower when concerns had been voiced that the airport was understaffed and it was only a matter of time before there was an air disaster.

Incident reports, from 2002 and 2005, warned air traffic controllers were being overworked because there was not enough staff and that Darwin had developed an "institutionalised culture of rule-breaking".

Mr Fitzgibbon denied there was any danger at Darwin airport.

"I have seen the reports and I've been reassured that none of them have any foundation," he said.

"At no point whatsoever has the slow decline in air traffic controllers had any operational effect and certainly had no consequences for safety here in Darwin or at any other airstrip around the country."

He said the bonuses would give the Department some "breathing space" until a long-term retention plan could be worked out.