[Peetwo]

(12) Across – Interesting timing.
(13) Down - A Tiger – by the tale?

Dear Members,

It is important to share with you an update on RAAus’ recent decision to not investigate a fatal accident that occurred at Kybong in Queensland involving an RAAus registered aircraft and a VH- Registered Glider, resulting in the death of two Australians.

In recent years, as a result of the ATSB choosing not to investigate sport aviation fatal accidents, RAAus has played a crucial role in formally supporting state police and Coroners, to assist them in understanding the circumstances around how/why an accident occurred. An artefact is that our participation has masked the fact that the ATSB have not been involved. Because of this our staff have endured WHS risk associated with deploying to accident sites, our reputation has at times been tainted due to our inability to share the reports we write as they ‘belong’ to the Coroner thus impeding the safety benefits for all aviators, and our members have funded a function that is not a core activity of RAAus. Moreover, this activity is one that is funded for other airspace users while our members are excluded from such safety dividends while contributing to the funding of the ATSB via the tax system. We have also been subjected to strong criticism due to the lack of independence in our findings despite us being faced with little alternative but to investigate our own. Nevertheless, we are proud of the significant work performed over the years to improve safety and provide some degree of closure for the loved ones of fatal accidents.

During recent discussions with the ATSB Chief Commissioner we were informed that the decision as to whether or not to investigate lies within the ATSB prioritisation system. That is, where can they focus their efforts (and funding) for the ‘greatest public benefit’. For the recent accident at Kybong we contend that in applying their prioritisation system, the ATSB should have investigated this accident given the high airspace risk that is evident and that an investigation would yield significant benefits for ALL airspace users, not just sport aviation organisations. RAAus is strongly of the view that an independent understanding of the circumstances into this accident is essential and that the ATSB is best placed to do this. This is a view shared by many others in the industry.The ATSB enjoys a host of protections under the TSI Act 2003, whereas RAAus does not. It is for this reason and those mentioned above that we have made repeated (unsuccessful) representations to the ATSB Chief Commissioner and that we will once again be making representations to the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport to seek the appropriate level of funding for the ATSB. This would mean that RAAus members are afforded the same status that is given to other aviators and transport users in our community in recognition of the role we play in the sector and our position in the industry as Australia’s largest cohort of private aviators.

The Board has therefore resolved that RAAus’ default position will be to not deploy staff/investigators to future fatal accidents, irrespective of ATSB’s position, to ensure we protect our people and the organisation. The CEO has been charged with making the assessment on our level of involvement which may still involve deployment however the role we would play will be significantly different from what we have done previously. We remain committed to supporting police, local authorities and Coroners wherever we can. There will be further work done on this matter including the continued seeking of legal advice. Should we shift our position in the future we will advise members accordingly.

Michael Monck
Chairman(for the board)

Courtesy AOPA Oz, via FB:

Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Australia was live.
  ·
RAAUS ADOPT AOPA AUSTRALIA POLICY, WITHDRAWING FROM RECREATIONAL ACCIDENT INVESTIGATIONS AND CALLING ON ATSB TO STEP UP

AOPA Australia CEO Benjamin Morgan discusses the recent announcement by RAAus withdrawing from performing its own accident investigations.  The recreational self-administration has called on the independent ATSB to investigate fatal accidents for the sport sector.  The change in RAAus policy follows years of strong advocacy by AOPA Australia, seeking independence and transparency in recreational accident investigations to protect the rights of aircraft owners and pilots.

MTF...P2 

[Peetwo]

FAA MOSAIC NPRM: AOPA explains what it means!! - 

1st the FAA NPRM:

FAA Proposes Rule to Enhance Safety and Performance of Light Sport Aircraft

Wednesday, July 19, 2023

WASHINGTON – The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is planning to enhance the safety and performance of Light Sport Aircraft operations. The proposed Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification (MOSAIC) rule would put performance safety standards around larger aircraft that innovators are building by expanding the definition of Light Sport Aircraft.

"This rule will encourage manufactures to make Light Sport Aircraft operations safer, more versatile and accessible while maintaining rigorous safety standards," said Acting FAA Associate Administrator for Safety David Boulter.  

Under the proposal, the aircraft’s weight limit is based on its stall speed. By permitting higher stall speeds, the proposal would bring within the Light Sport Aircraft regulatory framework aircraft weighing as much as 3,000 pounds. This more than doubles the weight of aircraft under the current definition of Light Sport of 1,320 pounds, allowing larger and stronger aircraft to qualify as Light Sport.

The proposal would also expand the type of aircraft sport pilots can operate and allows them to use their aircraft for a wider range of operations such as some aerial work. Although sport pilots could operate aircraft designed with up to four seats, they would remain limited to operating with only one passenger.

The public has 90 days to comment on the proposed rule once it is published in the Federal Register. The FAA will publish a final rule and respond to comments after the comment period closes.

Via Youtube:

Meanwhile here in Oz, RAAus are all over this...

Via LMH:

RAAus to go the Full MOSAIC

10 August 2023



Recreational Aviation Australia (RAAus) yesterday told Australian Flying that they are aiming to be allowed to administer aircraft that comply fully with the new MOSAIC regulations.

The Modernisation of Special Airworthiness Category (MOSAIC) proposal would redefine Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) to have no proscribed MTOW limit under a new standard produced in the United States.

RAAus is on the cusp of being granted permission to administer aircraft with MTOWs of up to 760 kg under the new Group G category, but the MOSAIC rules are expected to produce aircraft with MTOWs in the vicinity of 1360 kg.

"Group G is almost with us; the final review of our manuals is being done by CASA as we speak," said RAAus CEO Matt Bouttell. "The new proposal from the FAA [MOSAIC] really talks about performance standards, and I think that's the way that CASA needs to go rather than be prescriptive about the weight.

"Someone may develop a new wing that allows a higher MTOW, but does stall at 54 knots, so we're better off not limiting the weight, but actually using the performance standards and having that prescribed in CASR Part 103."

RAAus is a member of the ASTM F37 committee which is developing the new LSA standard, so naturally they will be advocating for CASA to adopt the new standard as a whole.

"RAAus will be seeking for CASA to adopt the MOSAIC standard completely, and the result of that will be more permitted activities and access to larger aircraft," Bouttell said.

"The Americans have absolutely recognised the benefits of LSA over the past 20 years, which has led to this new proposal."

Although MOSAIC is an aircraft standard, the FAA is expected to also vary the Sport Pilot Licence to allow pilots to fly the larger and faster aircraft that will fall under MOSAIC. In Australia, the Recreational Pilot Certificate (RPC) allows pilots to fly LSAs registered with RAAus, but Bouttell believes there is potential for the RPC to be varied similarly.

"I absolutely believe CASA will allow us to vary the RPC," he said. "As it stands today, the RPC and Recreational Pilot Licence are equivalent, with the only difference being who administers that. We are authorised to administer the RPC, so it makes absolute sense that we'll be allowed to vary it."

Bouttell, a former CASA manager, is a realist, and he understands the challenges of asking CASA for an MTOW limit in the 1360-kg range when the 760-kg Group G is yet to be implemented and the veracity proven over time. He understands that although MOSAIC might be due in the USA in 16 months, RAAus may not be able to leverage that for some months afterward.

"CASA is trying to proceed with CASR Part 103, and our approach to CASA will be that MOSAIC is such a significant change, and that Part 103 should have that within it. 

"When Part 103 comes out, we can then implement it as we would do with any new freedom."

As it stands in Australia at the moment, an LSA can be registered with either CASA or with RAAus, raising the prospect that even though CASA may adopt MOSAIC, they may still restrict RAAus-registered LSAs to a 760-kg MTOW. 

"I think that's a fair point," Bouttell said. "CASA can absolutely make that decision, but our case will be that there is no safety reason why that should be. If their decisions are based on safety, we should have access to the full MOSAIC capability.

"We're a mature Part 149 organisation that has been around for 40 years and has demonstrated a benefit to the Australian aviation industry. We have a like-for-like safety record and we believe CASA has confidence in our ability to administer and our members will be able to take advantage of that."

The FAA released a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NRPM) on MOSAIC in the lead-up to Oshkosh this year, and is expected to publish the final rule no later than early 2025.

Hmm...err no comment! - 

MTF...P2 

[Peetwo]

RAAus Group G approval stalled - Karma a bitch??

Apparently no LMH this week? However I did note an interesting Mark Newton comment in reply to a 2 month old comment in reply, to this nearly 4 month old Oz Flying article...

Group G Approval Imminent: RAAus

15 December 2023



Recreational Aviation Australia (RAAus) CEO Matt Bouttell has said that the start of the 760-kg Group G aircraft category is getting "awfully close".
In an communique sent to members yesterday, Bouttell said that a key step in the CASA approval process had been completed, clearing the way for a full approval to administer aircraft up to 760-kg maximum take-off weight (MTOW).

"I’m pleased to say that we are getting awfully close to obtaining our 760 kg MTOW (Group G) approval," Bouttell said in the communique.

"Pleasingly, CASA recently gave in-principle approval of the RAAus Flight Operations and Technical Manual revisions that are necessary to align our manuals to CASA regulations for this new group of aircraft.

"With this, I’m confident that our final approval shouldn’t be too far away.

"With the increased certainty around what will be approved by CASA, our staff are now busy, readying internal business systems, creating new forms, developing education and training programs and implementing a detailed member communication plan, to make this transition as easy as possible for members."

Group G will permit RAAus to administer aircraft with an MTOW in the 601-760-kg range. This is expected to include aeroplanes such as the C150 and many of the RV amateur-built experimental range.

Group G approval will not mean that aircraft with an existing MTOW below that range can automatically start carrying more useful load. The aeroplane's original certification needs to be adhered to. It does mean that GA aircraft that have MTOWs that fall within that range can be taken off the civil registered and registered with RAAus.

RAAus has created a series of FAQ surrounding Group G, which can be found on the RAAus website.

---

Matty in reply to Mike Borgelt
2 months ago

I think the question here is if you own an RV you built yourself and lost your PPL or RPL or Class 5 due to diabetes, would you choose to register with RAAus and fly with a pilot certificate, or sell the RV and take up golf?

---

Mark Newton in reply to Matty
5 days ago

“Lost your class 5 due to diabetes,” is a very funny what-if.

Three months ago, the hypothetical would have been “lost your class 2 due to [almost anything].” Now that Class 5 is operational, the set of conditions which make RAAus attractive over PPL/RPL is significantly diminished.

If you have diabetes, the CASA and RAAus standards are virtually identical anyway. In both cases, you don’t qualify for self declaration.

If your position is that RAAus is the natural home for pilots who are too dangerously unhealthy to fly safely, then maybe it’s okay for a diabetic to throw caution to the wind and lie on their RAAus MED002 form so they can fly a Group G RV-7 with numbers on the side. If they’ve given up on compliance, they could even fly aerobatics in it!

But it’s all a bit up in the air, isn’t it? It’s April now, nearly five months after this article was published, and RAAus is still “… in the final stages” according to their mail out three days ago, and all their target dates on the implementation plan are “TBC,” and Matt Boutell isn’t the CEO anymore.

But at least RAAus members can get RPLs and Class 5’s, which give them a MTOW increase up to 2000kg and CTA access. Maybe if RAAus should have got behind the medical reform effort a decade ago instead of lobbying against it; the extremely patient members would have been a lot happier if this’d all landed in 2014 instead of 2024.

MTF...P2

[Peetwo]

Death of Hartwig's just the beginning??

Via the Oz:

Hartwig Air collapse leaves students out of pocket



Dozens of aviation students have been left tens of thousands of dollars out of pocket following the collapse of one of Adelaide’s oldest flying schools, with liquidators investigating whether assets were stripped from the company prior to it being wound up.

Administrators were called in last month in a last ditch bid to save Hartwig Air, which had operated for more than 55 years at Parafield Airport.

However they were unable to find a buyer or investor to recapitalise the company, leaving creditors - owed more than $2m - with no choice but to wind up the company’s operations.

They include close to 60 students who had paid for flying hours upfront, but were yet to receive their full training entitlement.

More than $500,000 is owed to students of the school, according to the latest report from administrator Mark Lieberenz from Heard Phillips Lieberenz, including several who claim they’re each owed more than $80,000 while having to find another aviation school to complete their training.

Javeria Baloch, 22, was one of several international students who were completing their pilot training through Hartwig Air.

She relocated to Adelaide from Qatar in 2022 to undertake an aviation degree with the University of South Australia, before commencing her practical flight training through Hartwig Air at the beginning of last year.

“In total I paid around $80,000 ... and in the first year, within a few months, they asked for the money upfront, which was a bit weird because we hadn’t completed a lot of flight hours or training,” she said.



“We were told that’s the rules and so the students obviously had to pay the money.

“A lot of students are now waiting to see what happens with the situation ... but I haven’t flown in two months. I have to plan out how and when I’ll be continuing my training, and with who.”

Ms Baloch said she had managed to recoup about $30,000 of the $43,000 she’s owed by Hartwig Air through the federal government’s Tuition Protection Service, which provides assistance to students who are unable to complete programs due to the failure of their training provider.

“I was a bit fortunate and I got a bit more money from TPS, but everyone else in my cohort was offered about $10,000, but that’s not enough to complete their training,” she said.

“The administrators have said at this stage they can’t refund anyone because they’re still working with the liquidation and all the assets ... but at this stage we’re not really hopeful about getting anything back.”

Malaysian international student Anmool Kaur Ranjit Singh, 27, was expecting to complete her commercial pilot licence through Hartwig Air in April last year.

But she said delays caused by Covid-19, high instructor turnover and aircraft breakdowns meant she had still not completed her required flying hours more than a year later, with the company’s collapse leaving her more than $20,000 out of pocket.



“I was supposed to finish around April last year because that’s when my student visa was expiring, and that never happened - I had to renew my visa, not once but twice,” she said.

“The only reason I’m not flying right now is because I have spent $9000 applying for a partner visa. That’s expensive and I pretty much don’t have the money anymore. They were supposed to complete all my education within a certain period of time. That didn’t happen.

“Flying used to be something really beautiful and fun, but especially with what’s happened over the past year, it has been very stressful. It puts me on edge and makes me very anxious - I just don’t know what to do.”

Hartwig Air, previously known as Bruce Hartwig Flying School, had trained more than 3000 commercial and private pilots, with many of its graduates flying for major carriers including Qantas, British Airways and American Airlines.

Its collapse leaves South Australia with just two aviation training providers - locally owned Aerostar Aviation and Flight Training Adelaide, owned by Hong Kong-based Young Brothers Aviation.

Hartwig Air’s directors, David Johnston and David Blake, blamed Covid-19 and rising fuel prices for the company’s deteriorating finances, but in his report to creditors, Mr Lieberenz said other factors were also at play.

“We attribute the failure of the company to poor financial management, lack of profitability and lack of strategic direction,” the report says.

“The company consistently operated at a loss or low profit margin and had inadequate cash flow management.”

As part of his investigations, Mr Lieberenz is looking into the sale and leaseback of two flight simulators, which were transferred to a related company prior to his appointment.

“After thoroughly examining the documentation in support of the sale of the simulators to the related entity together with the procurement of a valuation by Pickles (valuer), we consider that the values attributed to the simulators in the sale to the related entity were below market value,” the report says.

“In addition, the purchase price agreed upon for the sale of the simulators was not transferred to the company. Consequently, it has been determined that the company retains an interest in the simulators.”

“I am in the process of cooperating with the valuer, landlord and the directors to develop a strategy to realise the company’s interest in the simulators.”

Mr Lieberenz is also investigating a potential insolvent trading claim, with early indications Hartwig Air may have been trading while insolvent for more than 12 months, racking up more than $500,000 in debts during that period.

Hartwig Air has changed hands twice since Bruce Hartwig established the aviation training school in Adelaide in 1969.

Mr Johnston and Mr Blake - a former airline pilot and previously chief executive of four airlines in Australia and Europe - acquired the business in 2014.

The company provided shark patrol services to the South Australian government since 2020, and runs the state’s only flight attendant training program.

While it traded profitably in the 2022 and 2023 financial years, sales had been on a downward trajectory, falling by 37 per cent in 2023 and 43 per cent in the current financial year.

The company’s collapse comes amid a shortage of pilots, both in Australia and overseas, with major airlines aggressively competing for pilots and other skilled workers as they look to increase their services to cater to the surge in post-pandemic demand for domestic and international travel.

Major creditors include the Australian Taxation Office and Adelaide Airport, owed more than $500,000 and $275,000 respectively.

Mr Johnston referred enquiries to Mr Lieberenz, who has been contacted for comment.

Hmm...don't worry Dicky King's soon to be released White Paper (GWEP MKII) will be the great saviour of what's left of the GA industry...

MTF...P2

[Peetwo]

Fort Fumble tries to reinvent the Part 103 wheel?? -

Via Oz Flying:

CASA to reconvene Part 103 Working Group

12 August 2024



CASA has said it will reconvene the CASR Part 103 Technical Working Group (TWG) in the last quarter of this year.

It will be the first time the Part 103 TWG has met since October 2021, when the group dissented on the manual of standards (MOS) describing it as "not fit for purpose in its current form".

CASR Part 103 covers rules for aircraft and operation of sport and recreational aircraft administered by Approved Self-administering Aviation Organisations (ASAO) such as RAAus.

According to a CASA spokesperson, the regulator prioritised other rulesets over Part 103 when the MOS was rejected, such as Part 105 (parachuting) and transitioning ASAOs to Part 149.

Since the making the MOS was deferred, recreational and sport aviation has been allowed due to a number of exemptions to the Civil Aviation Orders (CAO), but now CASA wants to get back to Part 103.

It is believed that CASA began work again last December and has met with several ASAOs this year to discuss the objections to the original MOS, and will re-convene the TWG in the coming months and develop a consultation pathway after that meeting.

Among the original objections to the Part 103 MOS were:

• the draft was overly prescriptive given the type of operations that are intended under Part 103
  
• the draft shifted away from the informed participation philosophy
  
• not enough responsibility was given to the individual organisations that administer the rules
  
• additive requirements in the draft that had not been thoroughly discussed or debated amongst the TWG or the industry.
  

The TWG consist of representatives from ASAOs and other experts from within the sport and recreational aviation communities.

---

 Mike Borgelt in reply:

Mike Borgelt10 days ago

We now have a Class 5 medical which the RAAus seems to have adopted, certainly for those over 75.

There is also a Recreational Pilot Licence. Why not just use these for all Recreational aviation with appropriate aircraft ratings?

RAAus allows owner maintenance for aircraft under 600Kg if the owner desires. This could simply be extended to all under 600Kg aircraft including gliders. Aircraft over 600Kg (an arbitrary limit anyway that could probably go to 1000Kg with no safety detriment) need LAME attention anyway even in RAAus, currently.

This is all simple, a level field and no need for the various organisations beyond lobbying to make sure stupid regulation isn't enacted and encouraging and educating their (non compulsory) memberships. This would return the recreational organisations to their members where they are now CASA subcontractors (CASA took them over with Part 149 using their members' money and the Part 149 organisations are locked into huge ongoing expenditures).

We know this works because of the example of the US EAA.

Note also the Australian Balloon Federation rejected becoming a Part 149 organisation, I suspect because of the expense.

No need for Part 149 or Part 103, TWG's or any other thrashing around.

MTF...P2 

[Sandy Reith]

Mike Borgelt is quite correct, CASA’s sort of outsourcing is a recipe for confusion and the creation of monopoly fiefdoms that will only serve to divide GA and increase costs.

Again the only way towards real reform is administering aviation through a Department of Government much like, as Mike says, the FAA.

[Peetwo]

ITECA raises concerns on student caps with Dicky King - 

Via ITECA:

Student Caps To Hit Pilot Training Schools

I T E C A    M E M B E R - D R I V E N    P O L I C Y    A D V O C A C Y

Date —
13 September 2024
Education Sector/s —
International Education


Summary —

Australia’s high-quality independent aviation training providers may be forced to close their doors, leading to significant workforce shortages in the aviation sector. The potential closures are a direct result of the Australian Government’s proposed restrictions on international student numbers.

Key Issues —

The Independent Tertiary Education Council Australia (ITECA) has raised concerns with the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development & Local Government about the detrimental impact that the Education Services for Overseas Students Amendment (Quality and Integrity) Bill 2024 will have on aviation schools.

The Bill will allow the Australian Government to slash the number of international students who can come to Australia. ITECA members have received their allocation, and flight schools have said the impact will be a drastic reduction in their ability to train the future generation of pilots. This is particularly concerning given that these schools rely heavily on international students to remain financially viable.

The advice to ITECA has been that the reduction in the capacity of Australia’s aviation schools to support high-quality aviation training for international students presents a severe risk to the future of aviation training in Australia.

Aviation training schools warn that their survival is at risk without stable international enrolments, potentially creating a long-term structural deficit in Australia’s capacity to develop a skilled aviation workforce. Airlines in Australia and globally are already grappling with pilot shortages due to retirements and industry expansion, and these caps would only worsen the crisis.

“Many flight schools are already voicing fears that the Bill could drive pilot training in Australia to unsustainable levels, forcing their schools to close,” said Troy Williams, ITECA Chief Executive.

The flight schools have told ITECA that the aviation sector has echoed these concerns, warning that the reduction in pilot training capacity will impact airlines’ ability to meet operational demands and expand into new markets. They say the global pilot shortage makes it imperative that Australia maintains its standing as a leader in aviation education.

ITECA has urged the government to reconsider the caps and work with both the Minister for Education and the Minister for Skills and Training to develop a more sustainable policy. Without such action, the aviation sector may face devastating workforce shortages that threaten both Australia’s airline industry and its position in global aviation training.

To support the sector, ITECA convened a meeting of members in parliament house in Canberra with key politicans to discuss international education and related issues.

MTF...P2 

[Peetwo]

ITECA voices concerns on student caps with Dicky King - 

Via ITECA:

Student Caps To Hit Pilot Training Schools

I T E C A    M E M B E R - D R I V E N    P O L I C Y    A D V O C A C Y

Date —
13 September 2024
Education Sector/s —
International Education

Summary —
Australia’s high-quality independent aviation training providers may be forced to close their doors, leading to significant workforce shortages in the aviation sector. The potential closures are a direct result of the Australian Government’s proposed restrictions on international student numbers.

Key Issues —

The Independent Tertiary Education Council Australia (ITECA) has raised concerns with the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development & Local Government about the detrimental impact that the Education Services for Overseas Students Amendment (Quality and Integrity) Bill 2024 will have on aviation schools.

The Bill will allow the Australian Government to slash the number of international students who can come to Australia. ITECA members have received their allocation, and flight schools have said the impact will be a drastic reduction in their ability to train the future generation of pilots. This is particularly concerning given that these schools rely heavily on international students to remain financially viable.

The advice to ITECA has been that the reduction in the capacity of Australia’s aviation schools to support high-quality aviation training for international students presents a severe risk to the future of aviation training in Australia.

Aviation training schools warn that their survival is at risk without stable international enrolments, potentially creating a long-term structural deficit in Australia’s capacity to develop a skilled aviation workforce. Airlines in Australia and globally are already grappling with pilot shortages due to retirements and industry expansion, and these caps would only worsen the crisis.

“Many flight schools are already voicing fears that the Bill could drive pilot training in Australia to unsustainable levels, forcing their schools to close,” said Troy Williams, ITECA Chief Executive.

The flight schools have told ITECA that the aviation sector has echoed these concerns, warning that the reduction in pilot training capacity will impact airlines’ ability to meet operational demands and expand into new markets. They say the global pilot shortage makes it imperative that Australia maintains its standing as a leader in aviation education.

ITECA has urged the government to reconsider the caps and work with both the Minister for Education and the Minister for Skills and Training to develop a more sustainable policy. Without such action, the aviation sector may face devastating workforce shortages that threaten both Australia’s airline industry and its position in global aviation training.

To support the sector, ITECA convened a meeting of members in parliament house in Canberra with key politicans to discuss international education and related issues.

MTF...P2

[Peetwo]

ITECA voices concerns on student caps with Dicky King - 

Via ITECA:

Student Caps To Hit Pilot Training Schools

I T E C A    M E M B E R - D R I V E N    P O L I C Y    A D V O C A C Y

Date —
13 September 2024
Education Sector/s —
International Education

Summary —
Australia’s high-quality independent aviation training providers may be forced to close their doors, leading to significant workforce shortages in the aviation sector. The potential closures are a direct result of the Australian Government’s proposed restrictions on international student numbers.

Key Issues —

The Independent Tertiary Education Council Australia (ITECA) has raised concerns with the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development & Local Government about the detrimental impact that the Education Services for Overseas Students Amendment (Quality and Integrity) Bill 2024 will have on aviation schools.

The Bill will allow the Australian Government to slash the number of international students who can come to Australia. ITECA members have received their allocation, and flight schools have said the impact will be a drastic reduction in their ability to train the future generation of pilots. This is particularly concerning given that these schools rely heavily on international students to remain financially viable.

The advice to ITECA has been that the reduction in the capacity of Australia’s aviation schools to support high-quality aviation training for international students presents a severe risk to the future of aviation training in Australia.

Aviation training schools warn that their survival is at risk without stable international enrolments, potentially creating a long-term structural deficit in Australia’s capacity to develop a skilled aviation workforce. Airlines in Australia and globally are already grappling with pilot shortages due to retirements and industry expansion, and these caps would only worsen the crisis.

“Many flight schools are already voicing fears that the Bill could drive pilot training in Australia to unsustainable levels, forcing their schools to close,” said Troy Williams, ITECA Chief Executive.

The flight schools have told ITECA that the aviation sector has echoed these concerns, warning that the reduction in pilot training capacity will impact airlines’ ability to meet operational demands and expand into new markets. They say the global pilot shortage makes it imperative that Australia maintains its standing as a leader in aviation education.

ITECA has urged the government to reconsider the caps and work with both the Minister for Education and the Minister for Skills and Training to develop a more sustainable policy. Without such action, the aviation sector may face devastating workforce shortages that threaten both Australia’s airline industry and its position in global aviation training.

To support the sector, ITECA convened a meeting of members in parliament house in Canberra with key politicans to discuss international education and related issues.

MTF...P2