[Peetwo]

Iron Ring rules in AIOS inflicted Can'tberra-  

---

The industry has "acquired institutionalised ostrichitis syndrome" (AIOS).

---

A bit like LB I have witnessed every RRAT Committee Estimates dating back to 2009 and in my opinion last evening's (above) session was one of the most bizarre but vivid examples of how a regulator with untrammelled power can be so disconnected from all reality when it comes to aviation businesses trying to be compliant with hugely overburdened rule set.  

If the underlining message of Monday evening's exposé of an ungoverned and seemingly totally out of control CASA was missed by the political elite maybe certain political party members, especially given on the record allegiances, might be able to relate better to the following from the REX Airlines submission to the Senate Air Routes etc. Inquiry...

---

---

This part of the REX submission was also covered today in the Oz by Annabel Hepworth (note the typical weasel word response from Pinocchio Gobson):

Rex cries foul over regulation

12:00amANNABEL HEPWORTH

Flight crew licensing, proposed fatigue regulation, lack of pilots: REX says the industry is under siege.

---

Rex says CASA regulations are causing costs to skyrocket

Regional Express has fired a broadside at “over-regulation” by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority.

Rex says part 61 of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations that deals with flight crew licensing has added $250,000 to its annual training costs.

The regional carrier also says the proposed changes to the fatigue rules have the potential to drive up operating costs by more than $7 million annually.

In a submission, the airline has told the Senate inquiry into regional services that it has to invest a “copious amount of time and commercial resources into simply filling out, sending and monitoring paperwork for CASA expiries”.

“The bureaucratic approval process for licence upgrades, training and checking approvals and synthetic trainer (simulator) approvals, results in diminished use of crew resources and vital check and training delays,” it says.

“These matters incur a higher cost to the airline operation and this is exacerbated by the current shortage of pilots.”

The regional airline said despite years of regulatory reform efforts, there was “little benefit realised to operators in recent times”. The reform is “in some cases unsubstantiated or is often in response to pressure from various interest groups”.

CASA spokesman Peter Gibson said the body “recognises the regulatory reform program has not progressed as we would all have preferred and the outcomes have not always achieved the desired goals”.

He said CASA’s chief executive officer and director of aviation safety, Shane Carmody, had tackled this “by setting an ambitious deadline to complete the outstanding parts of the regulatory change program by the end of this year”.

“Mr Carmody has put in place new consultation mechanisms to ensure the aviation industry plays an effective and constructive role in the completion of the new regulations,” Mr Gibson said.

“The focus is on ensuring new regulations deliver the best possible outcomes for everyone in the aviation community.”

On the proposed new fatigue rules, the spokesman said an independent review of them would be delivered this month.

“CASA has removed the deadline for transition to new fatigue rules to give the aviation community time to consider the findings of the review and provide further feedback to CASA,” he said. “New fatigue rules will not be implemented until CASA has carefully studied all the review findings and aviation community feedback.”

The spokesman said the authority was aware of the financial impact of regulation and it sought “to minimise costs, but it is important to note that CASA’s fees for regulatory services have not increased for more than 10 years”.

 
Oh the ironies...


MTF...P2