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Preparing for the best
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Regional aviation is often the litmus test for the Australian aviation industry. There are the first signs of sustainable recovery in the sector with job ads up and operators beginning to cast their net wider for quality pilots and engineers. Operators are seriously considering bringing in qualified pilots from overseas to make up for the emerging short fall.
Flight schools are seeing enquiry levels increase particularly with respect to commercial and ATPL courses. This is once again revealing the shortage of experienced instructors, an issue that will require urgent attention from the industry. The challenges will only increase as younger instructors are drawn off to fill vacant F/O seats. To relieve some of this pressure it may be timely to consider adapting the UK concept where specially trained instructors without commercial licences are used for the early stages of training. This may encourage very experienced aviators, including retired transport pilots, to consider working on a part-time basis and passing on their skills to a new generation.
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It is also clear that the resources sector is recovering. The extent of the recovery is not yet apparent but the projects in WA and QLD are potentially huge, requiring large skilled workforces. It is plausible that in the future every major Australian city may become a home base for many of these workers. This will mean extensive growth for fly-in/fly-out operations. In addition as the resource towns themselves grow, regional airlines will need to supply the essential services that support civic growth.
It is ironic then that governments do not seem to understand that aviation in the 21st century is basic national infrastructure. This is certainly understood by many within Airservices and CASA but doesn’t seem to be comprehended fully by the policy makers and their political masters. Government funding levels for aviation infrastructure are a stark testament to this short-sighted approach.
The new regional aviation products from airframe, engine and avionics manufacturers are exciting albeit with significant price tags.
Brazil, Canada, Japan, China and Russia are all offering or developing new regional airframes. Equipment retrofit in some older designs means their commercial viability has been extended. It will be interesting to watch the commercial tussle between turbo-prop and regional jet manufacturers as they place more efficient products in front of operators. Given that bio-fuels are still 10-20 years away from widespread aviation use operators will be monitoring fuel price movements with great interest. Manufacturers that can deliver significant fuel savings will grab market attention. With fuel costs unlikely to fall any time in the future, fuel efficiency may mean the difference between sale and no-sale.
There appears to be little or no energy for the design of new pressurised regional aircraft below 50 seats. This may mean extending the life of current smaller regional airliners but could also be an opportunity for the manufacturers of unpressurised utility aircraft to refine their products for use on more remote routes and unimproved airstrips. This has ramifications for Australia as well as the new markets in Asia and the sub-continent.
The next twelve months will be very interesting and hopefully exciting for the regional aviation industry. Let’s hope that we are prepared.
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