New year, new hope?

Australia has a rich aviation history, plenty of talented professionals, yet there is a sense that the industry is battling to free itself from growing regulatory and bureaucratic controls. Regional aviation, indeed all commercial aviation, has very high up front capital expenditure, complex government oversight, significant training costs, and it is often only the brave and experienced that can develop a successful business.

In short, aviation in this country needs to be liberated and entrepreneurship encouraged. We have the bizarre situation in our largest capital city where aviation training has experienced a significant decline and in the nation’s capital where not a single commercial training school has survived. This is at a time when Boeing and Airbus are flagging the need for 800,000 new pilots and engineers over the next 20 years.

1 July ushers in new and costly airport security measures, the carbon tax on aviation fuel and the loss of the enroute subsidy on regional routes. While some inefficient industries continue to be propped up by hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars, aviation is being saddled with further disincentives.

We also need to be far more scientific and strategic about aircraft noise. It is unequivocal that aircraft are becoming quieter yet hostility seems to be on the increase. RNP and Baro-Vnav approaches offer significant advantages in safety, lower emissions and noise sharing options yet we are still dragging our national feet on these highly advantageous technologies. Noise legislation needs to be based on decibels, on science, not on perception. Our airports need to be free to conduct their vital international and domestic trade, not emasculated by unnecessary curfews.

The irony is that thousands of Australia’s young people want careers in aviation. The interest in our industry is still there yet the barriers to entry, particularly cost, can be prohibitive. Countries such as France, USA, Brazil and Canada have invested heavily in their aviation industries as well as their aviation-minded youth, and are reaping the rewards for their vision and courage. The developing Asian economies are growing their domestic industries and are determined to succeed. Commercial aviation is an international business and using domestic benchmarks only can lead to complacency and a loss of perspective.

Even though it has taken years to have these issues understood, collectively the industry must not lose heart. It is vital that Australia aviation remains upbeat, innovative and aware of the latest developments across international aviation markets. While the resources sectors is the primary driver of our economy we must also ensure that niche aviation manufacturing, operations and services continue to grow in parallel.

The RAAA Convention is being revamped and participants will find the experience more interactive. Make sure that you have 10-12 October 2012, Hyatt Coolum marked in your diaries so that you can take part in one of the major events on the Australian aviation calendar. Watch this column for more details and I hope to see as many of you as possible attending this exciting event.