If that is what it costs you to get stuff through CASA I suggest you sack your Chief Pilot or whoever manages that side of your business and employ someone competent.
A properly managed application for a low cap RPT AOC should set you back around $25k. Recently added a new type to ours for $5k up front (and still got some change at the end).
Horatio,
With the very greatest of respect, you have no idea what you are talking about.
With what CASA are now demanding, the "route proving" alone will cost more than that.
Last Low Cap RPT application I was involved with, the manual upgrades alone (to an already well established operator of good repute), including the interminable manual changes required by various CASA minions, cost more than $25,000.
As for $5,000 to put a new type on an AOC, in the region I am, the CASA quote for their charges, alone, will be more than that, and in my more recent experiences, it always goes well over the quote. Of course, none of this includes any costs incurred by the company.
I believe I know the situation, to which Thorn Bird referrers, and he is not exaggerating, the costs incurred as a result of CASA demands are frightening for a small outfit. What is worse, the imposed operating requirement result in very real operational safety questions being raised --- the CASA impositions severely impact the safe operation of the aircraft. CAR 138 is simply ignored by CASA.
Mick Stupid,
RE. Part 135, you obviously haven't read and understood what is in Party 135. The aerodrome standards, alone, will eliminate most of the light charter, without regard to the many other costs Part 135 is going to impose.
Quite why you conflate CAR 206 and Part 135 mystified me, Part 135 doesn't do much to eliminate the definitional problems of CAR 206.
Hempy,
Tell your prospective investor to use the NZ CAA AOC, and operate in Australia (assuming you can finds a niche) using the benefits of the Trans Tasman Mutual Recognition Treaty. If it is good enough for Qantas and Virgin, it is good enough for anybody to use this treaty as intended.
Tootle pip!!