Substantial challenges

It is important to recognise that Australia’s airports are fundamentally a community asset.

Our biggest airport sites, while leased and operated by the private sector, remain owned by the Commonwealth Government. The overwhelming majority of all other Australian airports are owned and operated by the local government authority for the community they serve. Only a handful of regional airports are both owned and operated by the private sector for general public use.

For many of the local government‑wned regional airports, simply maintaining existing infrastructure in a safe and usable condition can be a challenge, particularly for those in more remote locations. Far from being passive assets, airports must be actively managed and competently operated. Runways and taxiways must be maintained to high standards and might need to be enlarged, strengthened or replaced when traffic grows and heavier aircraft seek to use the airport.

Meeting the infrastructure regulatory requirements for current operations can be particularly challenging for regional airports, particularly those with assets approaching end-of-life. Airport lighting and navigation aids also need to be operated and maintained. The cost of maintaining a regional airport is considerable, particularly when viewed in the context of a local government budget.

Simply staffing a basic general aviation airport with no RPT services and with no pressing maintenance issues can readily exceed $250,000 per annum. In the context of local government budgets that must also consider competing priorities for other municipal services, the costs associated with maintaining and improving airports is considerable.

With such limited budgets, resourcing at regional and remote airports is a constant challenge. Understanding the regulatory safety requirements involved in operating an aerodrome can be particularly difficult for local government operators –particularly those where the person responsible for the airport may also manage several other municipal portfolios.

Regional airports, more than most, rely heavily on the inspections and site visits they receive from Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) inspectors. These visits provide detailed guidance on technical issues that may need to be addressed to ensure regulatory compliance and safe operations. The inspections are also one of the few opportunities that regional airport operators get face-to-face access to expert technical and regulatory advice tailored specifically to their aerodrome.

In late 2015, CASA announced that it was undertaking a substantial review of its organisational structure in an attempt to streamline the delivery of its services. While the AAA welcomed this review, we have cautioned against the aerodromes branch being lost in the establishment of a broader, overarching branch. The aerodromes division of CASA is a small, yet particularly vital division, particularly for those regional aerodromes that rely on CASA’s regulatory guidance. The availability of CASA aerodrome inspectors to conduct inspections and site visits to regional airports across the country is essential. Adequate resourcing must be provided to ensure that this function can continue to be carried out unimpeded.

In recognition of the substantial challenges regional airports face in securing adequate financing and resources, the AAA has commissioned a comprehensive desktop study that investigates the economic contribution of regional airports across the country, assesses their future infrastructure maintenance/upgrade funding requirements against the availability of funding, and demonstrates the cost-benefit of particular regional aerodrome projects through several case studies.

The overall purpose of the project is to demonstrate the critical importance of regional aviation to Australia’s economy, and to identify the funding shortfall that exists for regional aerodromes to maintain ongoing operations, as well as to demonstrate the economic impact this will have on a local region.

The AAA plans to use the report and its findings as evidence to justify the creation/expansion of specific Commonwealth and state government funding programs for regional aerodromes to undertake essential aeronautical infrastructure maintenance and upgrades. The report is expected to be finalised and publically released in the first half of this year.

It is critical that all levels of government understand the vital role that all airports play in providing both economic and social connectivity for their region. While major airports are able to enjoy the benefits that come through economies of scale, smaller local government-owned regional airports often need a helping hand to ensure they can continue providing aviation services to the community. This help needs to be provided in the form of more substantial government funding opportunities, as well as through continued technical and regulatory guidance from CASA as the national safety regulator.

It is time for both Commonwealth and state governments to step up and address the financial challenges facing our regional and remote airports in order to secure the future of regional aviation in Australia.