CASA says it will continue to listen and respond to industry concerns

Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) says it is committed to listening to the aviation community and is making changes to the regulatory regime where necessary to ensure better outcomes for all.

The nation’s aviation safety regulator has responded to concerns from The Australian Aviation Associations’ Forum (TAAAF), which said on Thursday it was concerned at the “slow pace of reform of CASA and the ongoing cost impositions from new regulations”.

Also, TAAAF said CASA should abolish Civil Aviation Order (CAO) 48.1, which covers fatigue risk management, as well as the establish an industry task force to consider “urgent exemptions and amendments” to Part 61, 141 and 142 of the civil aviation safety regulations.

In response to the TAAAF statement, CASA said it was currently consulting the aviation community on a range of issues, including proposed new aerial work regulations, proposed new operating rules and the best way to implement future regulations.

This will continue, as will work on CASA’s Flight Plan 2030, a statement of the organisation’s long-term strategic intent due to be published by the end of the 2015/16 financial year.

CASA noted it received more than 100 responses from pilots after it sought their feedback on Part 61, which which covers pilot ratings, licences and endorsements, in April and was currently working through all the issues raised and “addressing unintended consequences”, including making changes on specific issues such as firefighting operations.

Also, CASA is holding a forum on fatigue risk management in November that will aim to “ensure there is a mutual understanding between CASA and aviation organisations of the requirements and expected outcomes of a fatigue risk management system.

Further, the CASA statement said its flight training examiners were available to facilitate the conduct of ATPL flight tests while industry delegates gained the “required privileges” and the tests were built in to industry training and checking programs.

“CASA welcomes feedback from all sectors of the aviation community and will look carefully at all constructive suggestions,” the CASA statement said.

“CASA is committed to listening to the legitimate concerns of the aviation community and we will look carefully at the suggestions being made by the TAAAF.”