CASA looks forward on aviation safety

Compared to other studies which have relied upon statistical data, the assessment was undertaken through a number of interviews with key members of the aviation industry who were given the opportunity to voice their opinions without needing to be identified.

“A range of representatives and organisations contributed to the report and were asked to consider the greatest safety risks the aviation industry will need to address over the coming three to five years,” said CASA CEO Bruce Byron.

“Participants were asked to look beyond organisational level issues and instead consider matters of a ‘whole of industry’ nature, focusing on the priority area of passenger- carrying operations,” said Byron.

The report highlighted how global trends including the unprecedented global demand for aviation services, manufacturing and technological developments, increased security and greater environmental awareness.

While the Australian industry has had a long period of sustained safe growth since the early 1990s and other benefits from these developments, this has not been without some difficulty.

“The sustained growth appears to be generating a commensurate level of strain on operations, infrastructure and support systems within all sectors of the aviation industry,” the report said.

The report identified five key trends which could have safety implications for the industry, and CASA has committed to establishing separate industry and CASA working groups to work through these separately.

“The industry/CASA working groups will be a valuable input to the government’s aviation policy development process announced in April,” said Byron.

The first key area identified was managing the needs of aircraft, particularly managing the risks with both the introduction of new aircraft types and also managing the issues with ageing aircraft.

New aircraft entering the Australian market bring issues including ensuring that operators are able to retain the skills needed to operate and maintain increasingly sophisticated aircraft.

Similarly, older aircraft, particularly in the regional aviation sphere, will face the challenge of dealing with fatigue and other maintenance issues which have not been encountered before.

Complicating this will be the challenge of recruiting sufficiently qualified personnel and the fact that manufacturers are beginning to withdraw support for some older types.

Another key area of concern was airspace and air traffic management, particularly the divisive National Airspace System process.

Congestion, environmental pressures and new ATM technology were identified as major trends which are likely to have a major bearing on the approaches of CASA and Airservices Australia in the future.

Airports and aviation infrastructure was another key concern. With the upgrade of many services to higher capacity aircraft and more frequent flights, as well as upgrades to navigation aids and security, a number of airports have been placed under greater strain. The report also identified the encroachment of housing upon aerodromes in some areas as a potential safety issue which would need to be managed appropriately.

Personnel was another major issue which has far reaching consequences for the overall industry, particularly challenges of retaining experienced skilled labour, such as qualified pilots, engineers and managers. Due to the worldwide growth in aviation, there is increasing pressure to maintain this skill base, particularly to ensure that safe practices are maintained.

Regulation and the oversight of the industry was also a major area of concern, particularly as new technologies, training systems and protocols have come into place. While not outlining specific issues with any of the regulatory or safety bodies, the report stated that CASA has had to fundamentally change its surveillance role to include judgement on how organisations are managing their risks.

Overall, the report of the assessment has produced some key overall trends which could shape CASA’s future direction. But Byron has made it clear that CASA will not be the only one working to resolve these issues.

“While it is appropriate for CASA to address some of the risks identified in the report, a number of the issues will require an industry-wide approach,” he said.

For this reason, CASA has committed itself to have its five working groups assembled by the end of June, although at the time of writing details of these groups and their likely outputs was still being finalised.

What is clear though is that these focus groups will feed back into the consultation process as part of the government’s National Aviation Policy, and so this could have some far reaching implications for Australia’s aviation industry.