Ageing Commuters a Potential Source of Long Term Concern

The Ageing Commuter Fleet: A Case for Concern

During the recent media feeding frenzy over the Seaview accident and its fallout, newspapers and television headlines announced to the general public that “200 commuter aircraft in Australian airline service are in danger of losing a wing”. The source of the allegation was a private submission by a senior CAA engineer to the House of Representatives Aviation Safety Inquiry, which was published by the inquiry secretariat.

After protests from the Regional Airlines Association and other members of the industry, the CAA subsequently issued a press release stating that the engineer had made a mistake in identifying the particular aircraft named, and the media quickly lost interest. But the matter raises two serious issues. The first concerns the ability of the CAA to adequately monitor the continuing airworthiness of the Australian aircraft fleet following staff cuts in the airworthiness branch, and the second concerns the releasing of individual submissions prior to their consideration and inclusion in the enquiry’s report.

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