QON for Carmody on China Southern flying school voluntary suspension?
Reference airport thread post: The slow death of the local airport
While most media commentary etc. focusses on the disbelief that a major Chinese airline was shrewdly able to negotiate a $1 for a 100 year lease of Merredin airport, what I found more interesting was this part of the Oz article:
Q/ After nearly a quarter a century of flying training operations, what possible safety concerns and regulatory issues could be serious enough to take 9+ months to address?
Q/ It is commendable that China Southern/CAE have continued to keep paying wages etc. of the flying school staff but if the safety concerns were that serious why hasn't CASA simply cancelled the flying school's AOC?
Quite obviously China Southern is quite prepared to suspend operations at it's flying school indefinitely, however for most flying school operators this would be their death knell.
Q/ Is this case a further sign of the expense required to merely stay compliant with the burdensome red tape associated with Part 142 and Part 61 etc.?
MTF...P2
Reference airport thread post: The slow death of the local airport
While most media commentary etc. focusses on the disbelief that a major Chinese airline was shrewdly able to negotiate a $1 for a 100 year lease of Merredin airport, what I found more interesting was this part of the Oz article:
Quote:..“I’ve never heard of this happening anywhere.” In recent months, however, the Chinese flying school has suspended its operations in WA after the Civil Aviation Safety Authority raised safety concerns.
Aviation industry sources say the company has continued to pay millions of dollars in wages — without any students — since March this year.
One source said he believed a dispute between Guangzhou-based China Southern Airlines and CAE could lead to China Southern taking full ownership of the flying school within months.
A spokesman for China Southern West Australian Flying College declined to comment.
Merredin shire president Ken Hooper said nobody in town had been able to find out when the flying school would reopen.
“It’s quite important for our economy here but we just can’t get any information,” he said.
A CASA spokesman said the regulator would not publicly discuss details of its dealings with aviation organisations unless serious action was taken, such as suspending or cancelling a certificate.
“CASA and China Southern have been working to address identified safety and regulatory issues over a period of time,” the spokesman said. “CASA is hopeful that China Southern can meet all requirements as soon as possible.”...
Q/ After nearly a quarter a century of flying training operations, what possible safety concerns and regulatory issues could be serious enough to take 9+ months to address?
Q/ It is commendable that China Southern/CAE have continued to keep paying wages etc. of the flying school staff but if the safety concerns were that serious why hasn't CASA simply cancelled the flying school's AOC?
Quite obviously China Southern is quite prepared to suspend operations at it's flying school indefinitely, however for most flying school operators this would be their death knell.
Q/ Is this case a further sign of the expense required to merely stay compliant with the burdensome red tape associated with Part 142 and Part 61 etc.?
MTF...P2