Difficult and necessary tasks

Tackling aviation’s future challenges to reach its future promise

Some experienced voices are predicting a doubling in the size of the Australian aviation industry over the next 20 years. This sounds like good news yet we still have a tendency to talk our industry down. Self-deprecation seems to be an Australian trait but it may not translate well on the international stage. A confident, forward-looking industry is understood in any language.

CASA’s new director of aviation safety (DAS), Mark Skidmore has now been announced and he has a very challenging task ahead him; that is, rebuilding the relationship between the regulator and the industry. It is useless looking backwards and trying to allocate blame. This is a new dawn, a new opportunity, and must be treated as such. Announcing the three new CASA board members soon would go a long way in supporting the new DAS to make the tough calls that clearly lie ahead.