Medical fee under review
Steve Creedy
June 02, 2006
THE Civil Aviation Safety Authority's much criticised processing fee for private and student pilot medical exams is to be reviewed.
Transport Minister Warren Truss will announce the review today when he releases a CASA discussion paper on overhauling the $130 fee for certifying class 2 health checks, introduced on January 1 as part of CASA's push towards cost recovery.
All pilots are required to undergo regular checks by designated aviation medical examiners (DAMEs) to ensure they are fit to fly.
The $130 fee is in addition to the $80-$250 cost of the check up, and is supposed to cover the expense to CASA of issuing a certificate.
CASA deals with 10,000 class 2 medicals every year and says processing time ranges from 20 minutes to more than three hours.
It admits "a significant proportion" do not need any case management or substantive work by CASA staff.
Industry groups have slammed the fee as unnecessary and want DAMEs to be be given the power to certify pilots where there are no issues involved.
CASA is seeking industry feedback on four options considered in the discussion paper and lists what it believes are the pros and cons of each. The options range from retaining the current system to introducing a sliding fee to allow certain or all DAMEs to certify applicants.
Mr Truss said the Government remained committed to cost recovery but believed every effort should be made to ensure the regulator set prices efficiently.
While CASA had a clear policy of concentrating on airlines, charters and other passenger-carrying flights, it made no distinction between the medicals required for private pilots, commercial or air transport pilots.
"This lack of distinction means private pilots are facing the same costs for medicals as their professional counterparts and many people say this is unfair," he said.
Comments should be made before June 23 and the discussion paper and comment form are available online at:
www.casa.gov.au/class2avmed
