Truss: Aviation Safety Regulation Review

[Sarcs]

The miniscule is still awake??

Err KC this..

6.

Support Regional Aviation
The Coalition will introduce a new and better targeted En Route Rebate Scheme
for regional commercial airline carriers to support low volume and new routes to
small and remote communities.

Score: 4/10 Some changes introduced

...may need a remark, it would appear the miniscule woke up sometime today...: Media Release - WT171/2014 - 15 September 2014

Oz Aviation wins the prize for catching a glimpse of the miniscule before his afternoon nap...:

Government revives enroute scheme

The federal government will spend $1 million a year to bring back a scheme that subsidises the cost of navigation charges for flights to smaller regional centres. Called the Enroute Charges Payment Scheme, airlines will be able to recoup 60 per cent of air navigation charges levied by Airservices on existing routes and 100 per cent of the charge for new routes for up to three years.

Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss says the scheme, which was cut under the previous government, would support vulnerable air routes to regional and remote communities.

“The Coalition in government is focused on encouraging the growth of regional aviation services across Australia and expanding the current network by giving impetus for operators to test whether a new route can be commercially viable,” Truss said in a statement on Monday.

“It can take years for new regional routes to establish sufficient support to become viable, which is why we are providing this additional support for up to three years. If we want to better connect regional Australia we must better target government support to where it is needed for those start-up and marginal routes. A relatively modest amount of government assistance can make a big difference.”

Truss, who is the Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development, said airlines would be able to apply for assistance on routes carrying up to 15,000 passengers a year using aircraft with a maximum take-off weight of 15 tonnes. Priority would be given to routes that linked a regional or remote community with a capital city or major regional centre.

“This ensures people have the best possible access to health and other professional services, as well as providing essential links for doing business in regional areas,” Truss said.

The scheme, which would cost $1 million a year for four years, came on top of the $1 million each year allocated to supporting vital aeromedical services such as the Royal Flying Doctor Service, Truss said.

Applications, which can be made at the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development’s website, were now open for all eligible services flown since July 1 2014.

Maybe REX pending doom statement from it's Chair had some effect in disturbing the miniscule's slumber...: Rex says aviation sector in “deep crisis”

Meanwhile over at Sleepy Hollow the other geriatrics are busy working out how best to continue to white ant the government's Red Tape Reduction policy, while pineappling other smaller players in the industry to keep with their policy of 'safe skies are empty skies'.... :

Angel Flight services not in danger
Sept. 15, 2014, 4 a.m.

THE Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has reassured rural and regional communities it is not moving to close down community service flights such as Angel Flight.

THE Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has reassured rural and regional communities it is not moving to close down community service flights such as Angel Flight.


It comes after Angel Flight, an organisation that uses volunteer pilots to provide air transport for rural and regional people to access medical care in larger centres, raised concerns it could be grounded by unworkable and expensive red tape imposed by the aviation watchdog.

"CASA is looking at imposing an additional regulatory layer of bureaucracy on Angel Flight, with the charity required to be responsible for pilot training and licences, aircraft certification and maintenance checks, not to mention a possibly unattainable burden of insurance," the charity said in a statement.

Angel Flight founder and CEO Bill Bristow said CASA in 2003 gave the charity it's "blessing" in written approval to start operations but was now seeking to impose new rules to "regulate" Angel Flight in the future. He said flights co-ordinated by Angel Flight were no different to private general aviation flights in Australia.

"All of our 2700 volunteer pilots who generously give their time to assist struggling families must adhere to the rules and regulations already imposed and rigorously controlled by CASA," Mr Bristow said.

"When we first heard about CASA proposing regulatory changes, I presented our grave concerns to Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss's chief of staff David Whitrow in March this year. However, it seems that those concerns have fallen on deaf ears."

He said he was worried the cost of complying with "onerous federal regulations" would financially cripple Angel Flight.

CASA rejected suggestions it was planning to impose crippling red tape, saying all it had done was start a discussion about aviation safety issues relating to community service flights.

A discussion paper on options for safety standards had been released for public comment so the public could understand them and consider whether there might be ways of managing safety more effectively, CASA said.

It said at the moment community service flights were considered to be private flights and pilots had varying levels of qualifications and experience and the aircraft involved differed in size, power and sophistication.

"If any changes to the safety standards covering community service flights are proposed in the future there would be further and comprehensive consultation before any action was taken," a CASA spokesperson said.

Funny how the PG statement has a familiar undertone to that given for the CVD & Cooper Pedy embuggerances...

MTF...