Preflight

And after some proving flights, West Wing secured the Civil Aviation Safety Authority’s (CASA) tick of approval and the first regular public transport (RPT) flight, a Cairns-Bamaga service, departed on the morning of April 1.

There were also a few familiar faces when that first RPT servicetook off, given West Wing reinstated 39 former Skytrans staff. However, the airline’s old livery has been refreshed with new colours and a different font.

West Wing commercial manager Michael Thinee said an important condition of acquiring the AOC was having many of the former Skytrans staff in place.

“We are very happy,” Thinee told Australian Aviation the day before the inaugural flight.

“It was a prerequisite of CASA giving us the AOC to ensure that all the key personnel were in place.

“It is basically the same operational management structure that existed with the previous airline. ” The new Skytrans also got the support of rugby league champion Jonathon Thurston, who is also an

Our intentions are to get as many employees as we can.

investor in the revived carrier and will be the “face” of the airline.

Thurston and aviation entrepreneur Peter Collings own Collings Airline Holdings, which is the now the owner of both Skytrans and West Wing Aviation.

“As a shareholder of Skytrans and West Wing Aviation, I will build on our community portfolio and ensure we are supporting those who are striving for the best for the region,” Thurston said in a statement.

Skytrans ended its 25 years of flying on January 2, when then chief executive Simon Wild announced he was shutting down the airline to protect staff entitlements and superannuation. At the time, he said the high US dollar, the lossof Queensland government route contracts and the slowdown in the resources sector left him no choice but to wind up the company.

The Queensland government moved swiftly and brought in West Wing and Hinterland Aviation to operate RPT flights to the affected communities, whose only reliable transport during the wet season is by air given roads are often flooded.

Thinee said those Cape York RPT routes currently flown by West Wing would gradually be shifted to Skytrans, with the Dash 8 aircraft “incredibly good for what the market requires up there”, particularly for cargo.

That would leave West Wing to focus on its core charter business. “Cargo is paramount and a lot of commerce is generated out of the region on the back of the Dash 8 aircraft because of its cargo capacity for things like live seafood for example,” he said.

“None of the other operations can do that without being a dedicated charter so basically you are paying someone to fly one-way empty to bring back a load. ” West Wing had options on a further six Dash 8-100s previously operated by Skytrans and the decision on whether to exercise those options, and potentially employ more staff, would depend on how these new flights performed.

“Our intentions are to get as many employees as we can,” Thinee said.

Extra RAAF C-17s confirmed

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has confirmed Australia will acquire two additional Boeing C-17 airlifters.

The Royal Australian Air Force’s 36 Squadron already operates a fleet of six C-17 Globemasters from its Amberley base, with the seventh to be delivered in July/August and the eighth aircraft to be delivered by the end of this year, the Prime Minister announced at Amberley on April 10.

The $1 billion acquisiton comprises $700 million for the two aircraft plus sustainment, and a further $300 million for a new, dedicated C-17 maintenance hangar and aircraft hardstand and taxiway upgrades at Amberley. Currently 36SQN utilises the KC-30 maintenance hangar atAmberley when needed.

“The two additional C-17s will provide vital heavy airlift support to a range of regional and global coalition operations and greatly increase Australia’s capacity to provide rapid and effective disaster rescue and relief and humanitarian aid,” Prime Minister Abbott said.

The acquisition of the two extra C-17s was first announced by then Defence Minister Senator David Johnston last October. At the time Johnston said Australia would also consider the acquisition of a ninth and tenth C-17, with decisions regarding the acquisition of those aircraft to be informed by the Force Structure Review being developed as part of the 2015 Defence White Paper process.

Then on November 12 a US Defense Security Cooperation Agency notification revealed Australia had formally requested “up to four” more C-17s from the US government.

With production of the C-17 ending this year, Boeing has built about 10 “white tail” aircraft in anticipation that these could be sold to new or existing customers of the airlifter. New Zealand has shown interest in two while there is believed to be interest for additional aircraft from India, Canada and the UK, as well as new customers in the Middle East.

Australia initially ordered four C-17s in 2006 which were delivered between December that year and January 2008. The fifth and sixth aircraft were delivered in 2011 and 2012.

Leo Davies new CAF

Deputy Chief of Air Force AVM Gavin ‘Leo’ Davies will take over from AIRMSHL Geoff Brown as the next Chief of Air Force (CAF).

AVM Davies joined the RAAF in 1979 as a navigator on P-3 Orions.

He completed pilot training in 1987 and in 1988 was posted to the F-111C at Amberley.

He flew an exchange tour on USAF F-111Ds from 1990 to 1992, served as executive officer of 1SQN from 1997, commanding officer of 1SQN from 2002, and as officer commanding 82WG from 2004. In 2006 AVM Davies worked as Director Combat Capability at Air Force Headquarters, before deploying to the Middle East Area of Operations to work in the Combined Air Operations Centre there. In 2008 he returned to serve as Director General Capability Planning at Air Force Headquarters before being posted as Australia’s Air Attache to Washington in 2010.

AVM Davies returned from the US and assumed the role of DCAF in January 2012.

AVM Davies will assume the role of CAF on July 4, while in turn Commander Air Mobility Group Air Commodore Warren McDonald has been appointed the next DCAF.

AIRCDRE McDonald joined theRAAF aged 15 as an apprentice motor transport fitter. After commissioning and undergoing pilot training in 1989 McDonald would enjoy a long career in the P-3C/AP- 3C maritime patrol world rising to become commanding officer of 11 Squadron in 2007 and then officer commanding 92 Wing in 2009.

In late 2011 McDonald deployed to the Middle East as the Australian Air Component Commander for Joint Task Force 633 as part of Operation Slipper, before returning to Australia in May 2012 when appointed Director General Capability Planning – Air Force. He assumed command of Air Mobility Group in December 2013.

China Eastern-Qantas alliance gets government backing following ACCC draft decision

Infrastructure Department says alliance “positive” for Australia

The federal government’s Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development has called on Australia’s competition regulator to reverse course and give Qantas’s proposed alliance with China Eastern the green light.

In March, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) said in a draft determination it intended to knock back the tie-up, arguing the partnership would give Qantas and China Eastern “an increased ability and incentive to limit capacity and/ or increase airfares” on the Sydney- Shanghai route.

However, the Department of Infrastructure and RegionalDevelopment said in a submission to the ACCC following the draft ruling the proposed agreement was “positive for the Australian economy and is consistent with the Australian government’s aviation policy settings”.

“The department sees no reason to deny the proposed coordination agreement,” general manager for the Department’s aviation industry policy branch Stephen Borthwick said in the submission dated April 8.

“The benefits that will flow to Australia’s aviation industry, Australian consumers, the Australian tourism industry, and the Australian economy as a whole are exactly the benefits the Australian Government’s aviation policy is designed to support. ” In its draft determination, the ACCC expressed concerns that Qantas and China Eastern combined currently operated about 83 per cent of all seats between Sydney and Shanghai.

Qantas currently flies daily from Sydney to Shanghai – its only destination in mainland China – with Airbus A330s. China Eastern operates Sydney-Shanghai, Melbourne-Shanghai and Sydney- Nanjing-Beijing services.

While Air China also flew between Sydney and Shanghai with a three times a week service, the ACCC said it did not believe the Star Alliance member would be an effectivecompetitor against a combined China Eastern-Qantas entity and noted it had reduced its presence on the route over the past five years.

“The ACCC does not consider that Air China will sufficiently constrain Qantas and China Eastern in the event they decide to reduce or limit growth in capacity to increase airfares if the Proposed Conduct is authorised,” the ACCC said in its draft determination.

“The ACCC considers that the lessening of competition on this route that will arise as a result of the Proposed Conduct is likely to outweigh any of the public benefits likely to arise. ” In response, the Department said the ACCC’s draft ruling was “too narrowly focused on the Sydney- Shanghai route rather than the operations of the wider Australia-China market”.

It argued it was a “commercial reality” that in any given market a hub airline would have a significant marketshare on routes to or from that hub.

“This should not in itself prevent the formation of immunised alliances with the other carriers when consumer benefits can be showed to outweigh competitive impacts,” the Department’s submission said.

“The department also contends the ACCC has overstated the impacts on the Sydney-Shanghai route, particularly when considered in the context of the existing competition on the route and the availability of one-stop services in the broader Australia-China market. ” While the ACCC acknowledged there would be “some limited public benefits” as part of the proposed alliance, it was not convinced the benefits outweighed the “significant public detriment likely to result from Qantas and China Eastern coordinating their services on the Sydney-Shanghai route”.

It said Qantas and China Eastern did not provide sufficient evidence to conclude new frequencies, direct services and destinations were likely outcomes of the proposed alliance.

Moreover, the ACCC said there was also insufficient evidence to conclude that a public benefit, in the form of triggering a competitive response from rivals, was likely to arise should Qantas and China Eastern be allowed to partner up.

The proposed alliance was unveiled in November 2014, following the end of negotiations between Australia and China over a Free Trade Agreement China Eastern general manager for Oceania Kathy Zhang said the airline was “obviously disappointed at the initial response from the ACCC, given the strong competition that already exists between these two markets”.

“Air travel is key to facilitating the increased traffic flows that will result from the Free Trade Agreement, and our proposed partnership with Qantas is about coordinating in order to provide a better level ofservice,” Zhang said.

Qantas said it was reviewing the ACCC decision.

“There are more than 20 airlines already providing services between Australia and mainland China, and the sharp pricing on these routes demonstrates that the market is highly competitive,” Qantas International chief executive Gareth Evans said.

“New traffic rights recently granted to Chinese carriers means the competition in this market will only increase, which underlines the importance of Qantas forming a strategic partnership with China Eastern so that we can strengthen our network and scheduling offer to customers. ” Meanwhile, the National Tourism Alliance argued in its post-draft determination submission the alliance would allow both Australian and Chinese markets to “better and more efficiently serve secondary cities in China through a domestic Chinese hub”.

“The draft determination constrains the ability of Australian airlines to develop a strategic hub in China,” the Alliance’s April 8 submission said.

“The Australia-China market is highly competitive in terms of both direct traffic and indirect options through other Asian hub cities.

“We are concerned that the draft determination cements a competitive advantage for other carriers and these hubs, through the existing liberal air services agreements that China has with them, in addition to the arrangements that Australia has with these third countries. ” Qantas planned to relocate its operations at Shanghai Pudong Airport to Terminal One, where China Eastern is based, as part of the alliance to improve transit times and share facilities, among other benefits.

QantasLink shifts 717 maintenance to Canberra

Cobham’s pain is Canberra’s gain

A QantasLink 717 at Canberra. In the background is Qantas’s
Canberra maintenance hangar. paul sadler

QantasLink is establishing a new heavy maintenance base in Canberra that will be responsible for the airline’s fleet of 18 Boeing 717s, bringing work that was previously done by Cobham Aviation Services in Adelaide back in-house.

The facility will open in October and create about 40 skilled engineering roles, QantasLink said in a statement on April 10.

The work will be undertaken in QantasLink’s existing hangar at Canberra Airport, which was originally built with ACT government support for Impulse Airlines to maintain the short-lived low-cost carrier’s Boeing 717s there.

Qantas acquired Impulse Airlines in 2001, inheriting the hangar before it was completed, as well as Impulse’s fleet of 717s. The hangar was designed to accommodate three 717s (or two 737s or a single 767).

“Canberra will be at the heart of our Boeing 717 engineering operations, which will complement our increased flying out of Canberra with this aircraft type and allow us to better utilise our existing assets at Canberra Airport,” QantasLink chief executive John Gissing said.

“This is an investment in new jobs and technical capabilities at Canberra Airport and builds on our strong commitment of over 260 Qantas Group employees in the ACT. ” Cobham said it expected to make a “small number of staff redundant” in Adelaide as a result of losing the heavy maintenance work, without specifying the number of jobs thatwould be lost.

However, the company stressed there was no change to Cobham’s existing contract for other work with Qantas, which in addition to line maintenance also included operating the 717 fleet on behalf of Qantas and supplying flightcrew and cabin crew. The company has worked with Qantas for about 20 years.

“This decision does not impact the broader contract held by Cobham to operate and support the Qantaslink fleet of Boeing 717 aircraft,” Cobham Aviation Services president Peter Nottage said in a statement.

“We are working with our staff to offer them support and to place as many as possible into positions elsewhere within the company. ” Canberra will be QantasLink’s second heavy maintenance facility.

Currently, QantasLink’s fleet of Q400, Q300 and Q200 turboprops undergo their regular heavy maintenance checks at Tamworth in Northern NSW.

The return of heavy maintenance work in-house comes after a period where Qantas had progressively shuttered its engineering facilities at Sydney, Melbourne Tullamarine and Avalon, resulting in hundreds of job losses.

ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr said the agreement between the government and QantasLink to bring its 717 fleet to Canberra for heavy maintenance was for five years and allowed for further expansion.

“I am aware that QantasLink had a number of cities to choose from, but we put a strong case to them to bring this investment to Canberra,” Barr said in a statement.

“The estimated value of the new arrangement to the ACT economy is around $5 million a year and our agreement with Qantas allows for the program to expand over the coming years. ”

Scoot 787s Down Under

Scoot’s new Boeing 787-9s are an increasingly common sight in Australia after the airline’s first Dreamliner service touched down in Perth on February 5. Pictured is the departure of Scoot’s inaugural Gold Coast 787 service on March 10, while Sydney also has seen 787-9 services in place of the normal 777-200ER flights.

China Southern plans frequency boost to WA

Perth Airport has welcomed the arrival of its fourth Boeing 787 operator with a traditional water cannon salute.

China Southern flight CZ319 touched down in the West Australian capital at 0558 local time on April 1 after an seven hour and 21 minute trip from the airline’s Guangzhou hub.

It was the Chinese flag carrier’s first 787 service to an Australian destination. China Southern has 10 7878s in its fleet.

The aircraft, 787-8 B-2732, was on the ground for about two hours and 45 minutes before operating the reciprocal CZ320 to Guangzhou.

The airline on March 26 confirmed it would increase its frequency to Perth to four flights a week from July 16 2015, from three weekly flights currently. China Southern is the only carrier offering direct flights from Perth to mainland China.

“The upgrade to the 787 Dreamliner will provide even further capacity for business and leisure travellers to fly direct from Perth to Guangzhou and connect to over 160 domestic destinations within China and beyond,” China Southern regional managing director for Australia and New Zealand Louis Lu said.

Perth Airport has already welcomed 787 services from Air New Zealand, Thai Airways and Scoot.

Singapore Airlines

(SIA) is boosting capacity to Sydney with an extra three services a week from July 30. The new flights will operate as an overnight service from Singapore on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, while the reciprocal will depart Sydney as a day flight on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays with an Airbus A330-300.

Alliance Airlines

is hoping to capture a slice of the Brisbane-Emerald market by offering seats on its fly-in/fly-out service for sale to the public. The airline hopes to sell spare capacity on its three flights a week between Brisbane and Emerald with 80-seat Fokker 70LRs that currently service contract clients. Alliance general manager commercial Shane Edwards says there are enough seats for sale after all its mining and corporate commitments have been satisfied to make the venture worthwhile. Virgin Australia and QantasLink already serve Emerald from Brisbane.

Air New Zealand

will fly three times a week between Auckland and Queensland’s Sunshine Coast during the summer holidays in an expanded seasonal schedule. The airline currently operates a winter seasonal service on the route between June and October, and is adding a summer season with flights starting December 13 and running until the end of February 2016. All services are operated with Airbus A320s.

Regional Express

is further expanding its North Queensland operations with a new crew base in Cairns and new flights to Mount Isa. By the time the new Cairns-Mount Isa flights – which will run four times a week with a morning departure from Cairns and an evening return from Mount Isa – begin on May 25, Rex says it will have three aircraft based in the North Queensland city. Rex general manager for network strategy and sales Warrick Lodge said the airline was bringing back direct service between Cairns and Mount Isa in response to community demand.

Virgin and Delta play down trans-Pacific expansion

Virgin Australia and Delta Air Lines say the immediate objective of their trans-Pacific joint venture is to consolidate existing routes rather than add new services.

Delta president Ed Bastien said his airline and Virgin have grown marketshare quickly since their partnership began in 2009 and the focus was on making sure that marketshare matured before adding incremental capacity.

“Our service is only five years old and I think we would like to make certain over time that we grow from a solid base of partnership before adding more flights,” Bastien toldreporters after speaking at a business lunch in Sydney on March 18.

“At the present time we are going to keep what we’ve got and see how we can grow the market over time. ” In January, the pair applied to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to reauthorise an alliance on trans-Pacific routes, which kicked off in September 2011 and covered codesharing on each other’s services, reciprocal frequent flyer benefits, the ability to coordinate prices, schedules and routes as well as share revenue under the concept of “metal neutrality”.

Figures submitted to the ACCC as part of their submission highlighted Qantas’s dominance on the trans-Pacific market, with the Flying Kangaroo carrying 46. 1 per cent of all passengers on the route in 2013, compared with Virgin and Delta’s combined share of 21. 4 per cent.

Virgin Australia chief executive John Borghetti said it was unlikely his airline would be able to compete against the likes of Qantas and United – the two largest carriers on the route – were it not for access to Delta’s vast US network as part of their deep partnership.

“Separate we are insignificant players almost and you question – certainly from the Virgin side, I can’t talk for Delta – how viable would you be if we didn’t have this relationship,” Borghetti said.

“The only answer I can give you on that one is go back to before we had this relationship and see how brittle our operation was in America. ” Virgin, or V Australia as it was known at the time, and Delta started flying between Australia and the US in 2009.

Currently, the pair has 21 flightsa week from Australia to the US Delta operates 777-200LRs to Sydney. rob finlayson – Virgin operates a daily service from both Sydney and Brisbane to Los Angeles, while Delta flies daily from the NSW capital to Los Angeles.

In October 2014, Virgin ended its three days a week Melbourne- Los Angeles flight and boosted its Brisbane-Los Angeles offering to daily. The market has more than covered Virgin’s withdrawal, with United starting new direct Melbourne-Los Angeles services and Qantas increasing its US schedule from the Victorian capital to 10 times a week, from daily.

Borghetti said Virgin offered a competitive schedule to the US, which he described as the biggest, most important market for Australia and “absolutely critical” to the airline.

“When you’ve got daily services that’s pretty competitive, so you’re better off competing properly on routes rather than fragmenting your network and not competing properly on anything,” Borghetti said.

“We had to strengthen what we had, which was very fragile. We’vegone a long way in doing that. ” Borghetti said the added competition Virgin and Delta brought to the market had been good for consumers, noting fares went down about 20 per cent when Virgin entered the market and dropped by a further 10 per cent since the alliance.

Moreover, having Delta as a partner helped shore up what was at the time a loss-making operation to the US.

“Four years ago, or five years ago, we were losing a lot of money on America. A lot of money on America,” Borghetti said.

“And we were operating nowhere near as competitive a schedule as we do today. The only reason that we do run a competitive schedule today, and let’s face it, it is daily out of Sydney, daily out of Brisbane, that’s pretty competitive.

“The only reason that we are doing that, the only thing that has allowed us to do this, is this partnership. ” The ACCC said in January it expected to issue a draft determination in March or April, with a final decision expected by May or June.

Virgin removes bag-free fares for domestic and short-haul international, adds free food

Last vestiges of low-cost carrier left behind

Virgin Australia has removed its no-checked-bag Saver Lite fares across its domestic and short-haul international network and introduced complimentary food and drinks across all its domestic flights, both moves which further position the airline as a full service carrier.

With the change in baggage rules the only routes where a bagfree fare can be purchased is for flights between Australia and New Zealand, which keeps Virgin in line with its alliance partner Air New Zealand’s fare structure for trans- Tasman travel.

The end of the Saver Lite fare has also coincided with some increased prices for Saver (which includes a checked bag), Flexi and business class tickets on certain routes.

For example, a Saver fare for travel from Sydney to Melbourne on June 2 was $95 on the Virgin website on March 16, when Saver Lite was still available.

The next day, once the Saver Lite option was removed, Saver fares had increased to $109, while flexi ($355 vs $339 before the change) and business ($699 vs $675) had also gone up.

Virgin’s long-haul flights to Abu Dhabi and Los Angeles already include a checked bag with every ticket.

Meanwhile, April 15 became the day every Virgin domestic flight was a food flight.

The airline has extended its complimentary food and drink offering “tailored to the time of day and the duration of the journey” on all domestic services.

“The roll out of free food and checked baggage, to complement our wireless in-flight entertainment, is an important part of our ability to deliver a consistent, premium service across our network,” Virgin chief customer officer Mark Hassell said.

“Today’s announcement, coupled with our exceptional service and leadership in on-time performance, puts us in a strong position to continue to grow our loyal customer base. ” Virgin said it would retain a buy-on-board retail cart for those wishing to purchase additional items to eat.

Serving complimentary food to all domestic passengers, whether seated in business or economy, has been an initiative Virgin has gradually introduced as it transitioned from a budget to full service carrier under the leadership of chief executive John Borghetti.

Moving to an acrossthe- board catering policy should end what had been an inconsistent passenger experience, where passengers on certain routes received a snack or food item while others did not.

For example, previously those travelling between Sydney and the Gold Coast were able to chew on some cheese and crackers or a half sandwich, while passengers on the longer Melbourne-Gold Coast flight had to make do with tea, coffee, juice or water – or something stronger during the 5-7pm “happy hour” – unless they bought something from the retail cart.

Tigerair introduces new carryon fee option

Cabin+ option increases carryon allowance

Tigerair Australia has become the first airline in this country to offer a carryon baggage fee for passengers wanting to take on board more than the permitted 7kg.

The low-cost carrier’s new cabin+ option increases the carryon allowance to 12kg spread over two bags and costs $18 for shorter flights and $23 for longer flights if bought online prior to travel. The price rises to $36/$46 when purchased at the airport.

Tigerair commercial director Adam Rowe said the new guidelines have been introduced in response to customer feedback.

Moreover, it was also designed with passenger comfort and safety in mind, as well as ensuring the airline continued to improve its on-time performance.

“People generally understand and support these requirements as there is only a finite amount of available overhead locker space,” Rowe said.

“Tigerair continues to be as clear and transparent as possible on the matter of baggage selection and excess baggage and provided that our passengers book the right amount of baggage in advance, they will avoid any extra fees at check-in. ” If the bag needs to be checked in, Tigerair charges passengers who have not pre-booked online $70 for flights up to 105 minutes long or $85 for longer flights.

The move towards a carryon bag fee brings Tigerair in line with the practice of so-called ultra low-cost carriers in the US such as Spirit, Allegiant and Frontier, who also have carryon fees.

In the case of those three US airlines, passengers are allowed to take one carryon bag at no charge provided it fits under the seat in front, while travellers who want to use the overhead locker or bring on a second bag have to pay a fee.

Tigerair’s new 7kg carryon limit is the same as both its owner Virgin Australia and Jetstar. Qantas allows passengers to take up to two bags each weighing up 7kg on board most flights, with the exception of Dash 8 and Olympic Dam services.

First RAAF Growler taking shape

The centre and rear fuselage shipset for the RAAF’s first EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft has been completed by Super Hornet program sub-contractor Northrop Grumman. The milestone shipset represents the one hundredth Hornet, Super Hornet and Growler shipset Northrop Grumman has manufactured for the RAAF, after the 75 classic Hornets which were built in the 1980s, and the 24 Super Hornets which were delivered from 2010. The centre and rear fuselage, vertical tails and associated sub-systems are manufactured at Northrop Grumman’s El Segundo facility near Los Angeles Airport, before being shipped to Boeing in St Louis for final assembly.

Kiwi Hercs celebrate 50 years in service

The first C-130H Hercules delivered to the Royal New Zealand Air Force has celebrated its 50th birthday while on operations supporting the Vanuatu cyclone recovery effort.

NZ7001 was the first of five C-130Hs delivered the RNZAF at Whenuapai on March 24 1965.

On its 50th birthday, the aircraft was tasked to fly from Suva to Port Vila with a Fijian aid team before returning to Whenuapai that evening. To commemorate the milestone NZ7001 has been painted with a special 50th anniversary tail art scheme which it will wear for a year.

“In the 50 years these amazing aircraft have served New Zealand, they have spanned the globe supporting everything you could expect of an air transport aircraft, both in peace time and on active operations,” the CO of 40SQN, SQNLDR Steve Thornley, said.

“This month alone we have seen C-130s delivering aid, supporting NZDF personnel in the Middle East and moving an elephant for Auckland Zoo. It is this sort of utility that keeps these aircraft in such high demand all over the world and is a testament to both the quality of design and the commitment of thosethat work on them that the first of our fleet of five has reached this milestone. ” The five C-130Hs were recently upgraded under the NZ$255m (A$247m) Hercules Life Extension Program which saw the replacement of various mechanical, structural and avionics components designed to extend the fleet for another decade.

In the meantime, the effort to replace the venerable Hercules has ramped up in recent weeks with the launch by Airbus of a media campaign in New Zealand for its A400M airlifter. The campaign comes after a visit to the region by a French air force A400M for the Avalon Airshow in February where the aircraft was toured by NZ Defence officials, and in February a demonstration of the capabilities of an RAAF Boeing C-17 in New Zealand.

New Zealand hopes to replace the C-130s and its two Boeing 757 transports with a common type, one that can support that country’s overseas coalition commitments as well as its Antarctic interests.

“We think we need to speak up and explain there is an alternative,” Airbus defence manager NZ Valentin Merino told the New Zealand Herald. “We have a feeling we need to explain there is an alternative to the C-17 to comply with what New Zealand wants to do. ” New Zealand’s airlift requirements are explored in more detail elsewhere this issue.

RAAF’s first F-35 pilot takes off

The first Australian F-35A Lightning II pilot has completed his first flight in the aircraft.

Squadron Leader Andrew Jackson’s flight,on the morning of March 17, was conducted in a US Air Force F-35A from Eglin Air Force Base, Florida where he is undergoing conversion training onto the aircraft.

“It was pretty awesome,” SQNLDR Jackson said of his first F-35 flight in an interview on the Department of Defence website.

“We went out to the northern airspace and did some stuff up there,and then down to Tyndall Air Force Base to do some circuit training and then back here [Eglin]. ” SQNLDR Jackson said the aircraft feels “very similar” to the simulator.

“It’s remarkably easy to fly, it felt very similar to the F-18 that I’ve flown previously so it was very comfortable in that regard, and in all seriousness it almost felt easier to fly than the sim did, so that really wasn’t a concern, it was more about getting it started and not falling off the ladder were the main things I was focused on today!” Prior to his first flight SQNLDR Jackson and his coursemates have spent seven weeks in ground school learning about the aeroplane.

The first two Australian F-35As, meanwhile, are already at Luke Air Force Base, “in anticipation of the opening of the international pilot training centre in mid-2015,” Defence stated.

The first RAAF F-35A is due to arrive in Australia at the end of 2018, with the first operational squadron expected to be established by 2020.

Brisbane Airport trials digital departure cards

International passengers at Brisbane Airport will be able to fill out their departure cards electronically as part of a three-month trial of what the airport says is a world first.

Instead of hand writing their personal information on the paper cards, travellers heading out of Australia can enter the details on Brisbane Airport’s mobile app, which is converted to a QR code.

This QR code is then scanned at an airport kiosk to create a custom printed card that a passenger still needs to sign before they are processed by Customs. The information can also be stored on the app for use in future travels.

Brisbane Airport chief executive Julieanne Alroe said the feature was developed in-house with support from a number of external partners such as Queensland University of Technology.

It also received the backing of the Australian Customs Service and Department of Immigration and Border Protection, which “recognised the huge potential of this initiative”.

ACCC says passenger experience little improved despite increasing airport profits

Latest Airport Monitoring Report takes big airports to task

Travellers at the nation’s four largest airports have experienced little to no improvement in the passenger experience despite ever increasing profits, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) says.

The competition regulator’s Airport Monitoring Report for 2013/14 says Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney airports achieved increases in aeronautical revenues in real terms, both in total and on a per passenger basis in the most recent financial year.

Moreover, total aeronautical operating margin also increased in real terms at each airport.

“Despite some significant investment, the monitored airports have continued to generate substantial revenue and profitability increases, yet we are not seeing any substantial increases in the overall average quality of service indicators at these airports,” ACCC chairman Rod Sims said in a statement on April 9.

“In fact, service quality at all monitored airports has declined over the past decade, despite higher unit revenues at all airports. ” In 2013/14, Melbourne Airport received the equal lowest overall average quality of service rating, scoring 3. 4 out of five, maintaining its “satisfactory” rating from the prior year.

Perth Airport, whose rating declined 1. 4 per cent, also came in at “satisfactory” with a score 3. 4.

Sydney climbed off the bottom for the first time since 2003/04, improving its rating 4. 7 per cent to 3. 5 out of five, moving up from “poor” in 2012/13 to “satisfactory”.

“We’re pleased that our investment in services and facilities has been recognised by our 38. 5 million passengers a year and our airline customers with higher overall quality of service ratings,” Sydney Airport chief executive Kerrie Mather said.

“We also continue to consult closely with our airline partners to ensure that our investment in airport infrastructure reflects the needs of their businesses and is in line with demand. ” Brisbane Airport was the only airport to achieve an overall average quality of service rating of “good”, scoring four out of five for a second year. The airport said in a statement it had achieved the highest rating in this category in the ACCC report for 11 years in a row.

“The survey results are very important as it provides an unbiased measure of where we sit in relation to other airports and what areas we need to concentrate on,” Brisbane Airport chief executive Julieanne Alroe said.

All airports reported increased aeronautical revenue per passenger in 2013/14, compared with the prior year.

And Sydney Airport had the highest aeronautical operating margin per passenger at A$8, followed by Perth (A$5. 47), Melbourne (A$4. 48) and Brisbane (A$4. 67).

The Board of Airline Representatives in Australia (BARA) said the ACCC report highlighted the need for airport operators and international airlines to reach alignment over capacity and quality of services provided to airlines and passengers.

“BARA’s preference is for commercially negotiated agreements with airport operators that are aligned with improved outcomes for airlines and passengers at reasonable and justifiable prices,” BARA executive director Barry Abrams said in a statement.

“No one pretends such negotiations will necessarily be smooth but new agreements must be better aligned with improving outcomes rather than simply rolling forward the status quo. ” Australian Airports Association (AAA) chairman Stephen Goodwin said the ACCC report showed the four airports spent $893. 5 million on aeronautical infrastructure in 2013/14 to improve facilities and and services and were due to invest a further $9 billion over the next decade.

“The multi-billion dollar levels of investment that are occurring at each of these four airports is evidence of an unwavering commitment to continually improve and develop the services we provide our customers,” Goodwin said.

The ACCC report found all four airports grew their car parking revenue in 2013/14.

While three out of the four – Brisbane, Perth and Sydney – also managed to grow car park operating margin, Melbourne Airport reported a 1. 4 per cent decrease in a year where the total number of car spaces at Tullamarine increased by 9. 4 per cent to 24,406.

Melbourne Airport chief executive Chris Woodruff said average car parking prices were down about one per cent after the introduction of new prices in July 2014, which falls outside the reporting period.

“Our online booking facility is proving increasingly popular with customers and for good reason, as people can save up to 65 per cent by simply booking online,” Woodruff said.

“We’re also investing in new technology to improve the overall car park experience with bay-finding technology introduced earlier this year and ‘find my car’ technology coming soon. ”John Vincent has been named as the new president of the Australian Division of the Royal Aeronautical Society for the next two years. A 40-year veteran of the aviation industry, including roles with Air Pacific (now Fiji Airways), Ansett and Qantas, Vincent takes over from AIRCDRE Noel Schmidt AM CSC (Ret. ). An aeronautical engineer, Vincent is currently an adjunct professor with the University of NSW School of Aviation. The Regional Aviation Association of Australia will return to the NSW Hunter Valley for its 2015 national convention. While the program has not been released, the RAAA confirmed the event will again be held at the Crown Plaza Hunter Valley. Air New Zealand has agreed to sell engineering and maintenance firm TAE to the company’s Australian management team. TAE, which employed about 200 staff, said it would be the nation’s largest fully Australian-owned aviation engineering services company following the transaction. Regional Express has purchased Townsville-based aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul company AVIEX from Queensland Airports Ltd, boosting its infrastructure support as it gradually increases operations in North Queensland. The AVIEX facility, which was about 5,500m2 in size, could service and maintain Saab 340, ATR 42/72, Dash 8 and other aircraft types. The ATSB has opened an investigation into the April 11 collision at Moorabbin Airport where a Moorabbin Flying Services Piper PA-28 VH-TXH was returning back to Moorabbin after experiencing a “rough running engine” when it overshot the runway and collided with a taxiing Cessna 172 VH-EUU, operated by Oxford Aviation Academy. The incident caused “substantial damage to both aircraft”, the ATSB said, with three occupants of the Cessna 172 suffering minor injuries.

CASA and ATSB sign new MoU

New agreement implements key Forsyth review recommendation

Australia’s two primary aviation regulatory bodies have signed a new memorandum of understanding which places a renewed emphasis on cooperation to improve aviation safety.

Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) director of aviation safety Mark Skidmore and Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) chief commissioner put pen to paper on the new MoU on March 30.

The new MoU is for three years and outlines how the two agencies will interact with each other and covers notifications of accidents and incidents. It also covers access to evidence, exchange of information and initiating safety action.

“Significantly, both agencies have reiterated a commitment to tell the other agency about matters they reasonably believe the other agency needs to know for safety purposes,” CASA and the ATSB said in a joint statement.

A new MoU between the ATSB and CASA was one of the recommendations of the Aviation Safety Regulatory Review (ASRR), which called for the two bodies to “amend the wording of their existing Memorandum of Understanding to make it more definitive about interaction, coordination, and cooperation”.

The federal government agreed with this recommendation when it handed down its response to the ASRR in December 2014.

“The government also agrees in-principle to better information sharing between industry and safety agencies which is a well-established, international best practice and can assist in preventing future safety occurrences,” the government said in its response to the ASRR.

“However, mindful of industry concerns in this area, the transition to a greater flow of information between industry, the ATSB and CASA must continue to be accompanied by CASA adhering to its sound policy declarations on exactly how aviation safety information will be used. ” Skidmore said it was “important for the agencies to share safety information while recognising that there are limits to what the accident investigator can provide to the regulator”.

“Where those limits exist, the ATSB makes the decision on what information is provided and CASA will only ask the ATSB for certain kinds of information if it is necessary in the demonstrable interests of safety,” Skidmore said.

“Of course, if CASA has information it believes relevant to an ATSB investigation, we will let the ATSB know. ” Dolan added: “The MoU spells out how the two agencies will cooperate in the interests of improving aviation safety. We are working together – with the ATSB identifying safety issues through its investigations and findings, and CASA and the industry responding to those issues, as appropriate – to promote high standards of aviation safety. ”

CASA says it is committed to reducing costs

No existing fees will be increased

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) says it is committed to reducing costs and stresses no existing fees will be increased under proposed changes to the way it charges for licensing and other regulatory services.

The nation’s aviation safety regulator came under attack just before Easter when The Australian Aviation Associations’ Forum came out against CASA’s draft Cost Recovery Implementation Strategy (CRIS) consultation paper, which outlined some proposed fee changes.

In response to that criticism, CASA promised to undertake a full consultation on the proposed fee changes contained in the CRIS.

“CASA understands concerns within the aviation community about proposed changes to cost recovery for regulatory services and is committed to keeping the costs of aviation safety regulation as low as is possible at all times,” it said.

“The current proposals relate to the introduction of the new flight crew licensing suite of regulations – with many current fees simply being replaced by fees that apply under the new regulations. No existing fees will be increased. ” TAAAF, which brings together the peak bodies of the aviation sector in Australia under the one banner, said on April 2 it was “not appropriate for CASA to propose some 90 new charges related to the bungled new Part 61 for pilot licensing, and to maintain complex bureaucratic systems that fail to deliver efficiency” during these tough economic times.

The Forum called on CASA to “tighten its belt, become more efficient and review those of its activities that contribute little to aviation safety”.

CASA noted in the draft CRIS consultation paper it did not recover the full cost of providing regulatory services, adding those costs were continuing to increase.

“CASA will carefully review all comments on the proposed fee changes and seriously consider all suggestions for amendments or changes,” the regulator said.

“CASA agrees with the aviation community that we must strive to be as efficient as possible at all times and seek to reduce costs where possible. ” The regulator estimated the cost of all chargeable activities would be $40. 8 million in 2014/15, resulting in a deficit of $25. 8 million given CASA traditionally recovered less than $15 million through fees.

The deficit was forecast to increase to $30 million by 2018/19 as costs rose due to “normal inflationary pressures”.

CASA conducts medical review

Regulator considering the Colour Assessment and Diagnosis (CAD) test

CASA has announced a review of how it deals with medical matters.

CASA director of aviation safety (DAS) Mark Skidmore says the review will look at the organisation’s “strategic approach to aviation medicine policy standards and clinical practice development, options for the better delivery of medical services in the future and the recruitment and retention of qualified and experienced aviation medicine doctors”.

“The management of aviation medical certificates is an issue of interest to many pilots and air traffic controllers,” Skidmore wrote in the March edition of his monthly CASA briefing note.

“I recognise some people have strong views about CASA’s aviation medical system, the decision-making processes and medical rulings.

“Our bottom line is to find ways to improve medical service delivery, ensure our decision-making processes are transparent and evidence-based, as well as improving the management of complex medical matters. ” The review is due to be completed in the second half of 2015.

Skidmore noted CASA processed 25,855 medical applications in 2014, of which 102 were refused. There were 13 official complaints in the second half of 2014.

“Despite this low level of complaints and medical refusals I believe we can do better and the relatively small number of complaints we receive can be reduced,” Skidmore said.

Separately, Skidmore said CASA would also look at the current arrangements that allowed designated aviation medical examiners to issue and renew class 2 medicals and consider the potential for them to renew class 1 and class 3 medical certificates in the future.

“I will ensure CASA consults widely and effectively with the aviation community during the course of these aviation medical reviews. Where criticism is warranted I will make sure the causes of problems are identified and addressed as quickly as possible,” Skidmore said.

CASA’s Office of Aviation Medicine was responsible for, among other things, the standards and policies regarding medical certification for pilots.

This included the recent move to change standards for colour vision deficiency (CVD), which has angered many pilots who have been flying with some form of CVD for many years but now faced the prospect of being grounded under new regulations.

Skidmore said in a speech to the Aviation Medical Society of Victoria on a February 28 that the new processes introduced in mid-2014 – before he joined the organisation as the new DAS – related to new applicants only and there were no impacts on existing pilots.

“In February 2015, CASA had 134 Class 1 medical certificate holders and 252 Class 2 medical certificate holders who have failed the Ishihara test,” Skidmore said in prepared remarks published on the CASA website.

Skidmore said CASA was considering the colour assessment and diagnosis (CAD) test as a third-level test for detecting CVD.

“It is used by the UK and is also available in the US as an option for testing for CVD,” Skidmore said.

“CAD provides for colour and diagnostic testing, which can determine the degree of colour deficiency, which is something that is currently not able to be determined by the Ishihara or Farnsworth tests.

“Whilst I am not considering further changes to policy or standards at this time, any proposed changes will be consulted through the SCC medical sub-committee. Pilots with existing CVD restrictions will require no other tests related to CVD, unless other medical reasons determine a need to do so. ”