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Regional RPT remains a major backbone of the national transport network. dave parer
The vision to invest
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Where to next for regional aviation?
Fuel prices are not low but unusually steady, although this can change in a heartbeat. FIFO activity has decreased from historic highs but is still a vital component in the ongoing success of Australia’s resources industry. Regional RPT remains a major backbone of the national transport network and will only grow further as our population climbs. Aero-medical activity is a critical part of the health infrastructure in regional and remote Australia. Tourism and charter flight activity are showing signs of a new growth spurt. Aviation training could be on the cusp of considerable expansion as the Australian dollar remains at relatively competitive levels.
On the engineering and manufacturing fronts, recent meetings with CASA may encourage a more streamlined approval process. Australia has been traditionally very good at innovation and prototyping but relatively poor at bringing these ideas successfully to market. This has to change if we are to become serious aviation exporters, rather than simply aviation consumers. The recent announcement that the Australian-made Airvan has been ordered by the Californian Highway Patrol is testimony to what is possible if the right product is offered.
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Australia is suited to rugged and relatively simple-to-maintain aircraft. This is true of the DNA of indigenous aircraft such as the Brumby, the Jabiru and the SeabirdRegionsSeeker. What is missing in the regional space is a pressurised under 50-seat RPT/commuter/multirole aircraft. Saab 340s, Metroliners and Dash 8-100/200s continue to offer safe and economical service but from where is the next generation of this aircraft category coming? The reasons that aviation flourished in Australia in the last century remain true today. While we see ourselves very much as a developed country, in many ways we are still developing. In under one lifetime Australia has doubled its population and will reach 30 million in relatively quick order. The major cities will grow but so will regional centres, and there may even be a revitalisation of seemingly stagnant smaller towns. Aviation will again play its part in servicing this growth.
Better roads, cars and rail growth will compete with aviation for the private and business dollar. However, when someone or something must arrive quickly, nothing can touch aviation, particularly regional aviation. In a big country with a widely dispersed population, regional aviation will continue to offer the fastest transport solutions.
As mentioned in previous columns, what happened to our aerospace industry? On the defence front we remain an active player thanks to close defence ties with relatively prosperous nations, but how do we rate on the civil aerospace front? Australia still maintains a fully surveyed rocket range that stretches to the Indian
Regional aviation will continue to offer the fastest transport solutions.
Ocean. It is used sparingly by overseas companies and even more sparingly by Australian researchers. Where is the vision and investment to once again invest in civil aerospace given satellite and space research is seen as integral by a number of emerging countries? Australia can never afford to stand still in aviation or aerospace. We have been gifted a country with massive space, abundant resources, a sound legal system, technical abilities and a population changing before our eyes.
Now is not the time for Australia to lose focus on the potential of aviation and aerospace to grow our country economically and socially. It is a pity that so few of our political leaders have an aviation or even technical background. We are grateful for the ones that do.
Even so, it is up to each of us in the industry to educate our political leaders at every opportunity to understand that aviation and aerospace are 21st century industries that must be fostered.
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