Industry calls for more progress on aviation reforms

The peak bodies representing the aviation sector in Australia have called for the author of the Aviation Safety Regulatory Review (ASRR) David Forsyth to take a look at what progress has been achieved since he handed down the report in June 2014 and what further recommendations are needed.

The ASRR, which was commissioned by the federal government, called for substantial cultural and structural change at the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) and made 37 recommendations, the bulk of which were accepted by then Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Warren Truss when he handed down the government’s response late in 2014.

In its latest communique published on Monday, The Australian Aviation Associations’ Forum (TAAAF) said a “new and more positive aviation regulatory philosophy is emerging, leading to a regulatory partnership between industry and government”.

However, it “expressed concern at the lack of progress in the effective implementation of the Forsyth Report (the Aviation Safety Regulatory Review) and would support the reappointment of Mr David Forsyth to conduct a review of progress and make further recommendations”.

The call echoes TAAAF’s comments in October about the “slow pace of change” at CASA and the cost of compliance with new regulations.

TAAAF, which comprises the peak representative bodies in the local industry also repeated its call for CASA to “immediately impose a moratorium on proposed changes to pilots’ flight and duty times under CAO 48.1 to permit a more collaborative approach”.

“TAAAF fully supports the Director of Aviation Safety’s Directive 01/2015 on the development and application of risk-based and cost-effective aviation safety regulation and asked that it be applied to all CASA regulations including Parts 61/141/142 and CAO 48.1,” TAAAF said.

CASA director of aviation safety Mark Skidmore announced in November an organisational restructure in an effort to improve its regulation of air safety and how it served the aviation community.