Training haze

Budget flak hits AIR 5428

High hopes that the long-awaited project to replace Australia’s ab initio pilot training system would get the green light have been dashed, with the federal budget announcement that the six-year wait will be extended for yet another year. Understandably, industry is neither surprised nor impressed.

The delay will push a second pass decision into the 2014-15 to 2016-17 timeframe, making the original 2017-18 forecast, aligned with the PC-9 planned withdrawal date of 2017, difficult to meet.