03 October 2008

Australia's aviation industry continues strong growth.

For the fifth year in a row, the aviation sector has grown at a faster pace than the overall Australian economy Ã¢â¬' a result that underscores its continuing strength.

Last year (2007) the aviation sector expanded by 4.9 per cent to $6.31 billion Ã¢â¬' equivalent to 0.62 per cent of AustraliaÃ¢â¬â¢s GDP. This compares to a 4.2 per cent growth rate for the overall economy.

In fact, over the past decade (1997-2007) the aviation sector has grown by more than 66 per cent, while over the same period AustraliaÃ¢â¬â¢s national income went up by 42 per cent.

This is the key finding contained in the latest edition of Avline, a bi-annual publication which reports on the health of the Australian aviation sector.

Going forward the Rudd Labor Government says it isdetermined to be proactive in its support for this critical industry, "why we are developing the nationÃ¢â¬â¢s first ever aviation White Paper to promote and guide the industryÃ¢â¬â¢s growth over the next decade and beyond." "If Australia is to continue reaping the economic benefits of aviation, we need to start planning now."

The purpose of the White Paper will be to assist the industry overcome its immediate challenges, such as a lack of pilots and engineers, as well as provide new growth opportunities, including the pursuit of a more liberal international aviation market.

For example, they commenced negotiations on an Australia-European Union (EU) Ã¢â¬Ëœopen skiesÃ¢â¬â¢ agreement Ã¢â¬' an outcome that could remove many Ã¢â¬' if not all Ã¢â¬' of the existing regulatory limitations on Australian and European airlines operating between our two continents.

The EU is already AustraliaÃ¢â¬â¢s largest aviation market. In 2007, 4.6 million passengers travelled between Australia and the EU Ã¢â¬' an average of 43,780 passengers each way per week.

The latest edition of Avline can be downloaded from: www.bitre.gov.au

A Report by The Mole