CASA Board Appointment
THE federal government has quietly appointed former Brindabella Airlines owner Jeff Boyd as Civil Aviation Safety Authority deputy chairman.
In an unusual move, Mr Boyd’s name appeared on the CASA website with no formal announcement from Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss.
It is understood Mr Truss is waiting for the appointment of three remaining board members before making a global announcement. Mr Truss last month said CASA faced its biggest overhaul in decades after a government review found relations between it and the airlines had soured to the point that safety improvements were being stifled.
The aviation safety regulation review, headed by industry veteran David Forsyth, called for sweeping reforms to the regulator after its hardline approach to enforcement led to a lack of trust between it and operators.
Mr Truss said the replacement of current CASA head John McCormick, who is not renewing his contract, and the creation of two new board positions would herald a “new start’’ for CASA.
The appointment of Mr Boyd is likely to be well received by aviation groups.
A 31-year veteran of the regional aviation industry, he founded the now defunct Brindabella in 1994 and sold it in 2011. Brindabella collapsed under its new owners and went into receivership earlier this year but was considered a success story under Mr Boyd.
He was a vice-chairman of the Regional Aviation Association of Australia and is a qualified commercial pilot and a licensed aircraft maintenance engineer.
He owned and operated a flight training school and has had experience on several industry advisory councils, including the Reserve Bank small business advisory panel.
The Aerial Agricultural Association of Australia and the Australian Airports Association have expressed concerns about the make-up of the CASA board in submissions to the safety review.