New year, new agenda

2018 is looking good as a year

AAAA’s outlook for the coming year is unusually optimistic – including on the regulatory front. Recent media coverage has started to shine a light on the pilot shortage and short-term visa changes, but it is yet to make the links between those issues and the underpinning causes of complexity and cost of regulation and most importantly, the difficulty the industry has in promoting aviation careers when pilots have to self-fund their expensive training.

Why would a young person – other than the most committed and aviation inspired – chose aviation as a career when they can’t access HECS through CASA-approved flying training schools? This simple policy bias against aviation does not stand up to scrutiny from a fairness, economic or nationbuilding Perspective.