Chocks, this isn't new, the industry has had cancer for a number of the 30 years I have been in a small aviation business. Regions have been dying for years as there are no votes in the country we are on the bottom of the list.
We are sick of hearing about the next saviour be that a new mining company that rolls into town promising wealth and jobs for all to governments promising to improve roads and airstrips and services. All started back in the late 80's when government started centralising services back to capital or regional service centres and lost touch with the communities they service.
Ask any charter operator how much government work now comes out of regions and how much comes out of capital cities. A lot of departmental government flights now charter like mining from a capital city to remote and regional areas direct instead of using RPT to regional areas then onto local charter operators to remote communities or basing staff in regions to service remote communities.
It does feel like we are drowning, we struggle to the surface occasionally grab a big gulp of air and start to sink again. At the moment with the senate enquiry and potential for part 135 we have just taken another big gulp and hopefully the government is going to throw a life ring. However I do fear that a heap of us are just about to end up on the sea floor.
Hempy I fear you are right as I can see that all aviation is going to be RPT city based and all those aviation jobs that gave newbies a start will disappear as will the number of smaller aircraft. Training will have to move to RAAS as private GA will disappear and RPT will have cadet program's to replace pilots. Government will have to bring back more route subsidies to keep the shrinking viable regional routes serviceable due to lower economic regional wealth and populations.
I hope this is just a doomsday scenario from my imagination, however to be honest, I like many others in this game fear it could happen.
Time to click my heals three times and take a gulp of air and search for fairies and curse the devil again.
I really wanted to leave this little aviation business to my son and daughter however I fear if I do I maybe taken to court for child abuse
