Budget airline planes could ‘fall out of the sky’
According to AAP, an Australian senator says if cut-price airlines do not pay more attention to maintenance, aircraft could start “falling out of the sky”
“One of the risks for all airlines is that in the competitive market … the airline, to protect its financial capacity to fly, endangers its physical capacity to fly,” Senator Bill Heffernan said.
“In other words if they cut back the maintenance enough the planes eventually start falling out of the sky.”
Senator Heffernan made the comments following the tabling of a report into the workings of the aviation watchdog – the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA).
The report raised serious concerns about the culture at one of CASA’s regional offices and also recommended a reintroduction of a board to provide “enhanced oversight and strategic direction” at the authority.
Glenn Sterle, chairman of the rural and regional affairs and transport committee, which developed the report, told the Senate CASA needed to change its approach to keeping the air safe.
“It is vital for Australian air safety that CASA be the regulators of aviation safety in this country and not focus on a partnership approach,” Senator Sterle said.
“A lack of an enforcement mindset has been proven to lead to lower standards of air safety and it is crucial that our aviation regulator be aware of this and implement strategies to address it.”
The report said the watchdog’s north Queensland office appeared to “not deal with all members of the industry fairly and do not apply regulations consistently”.
The watchdog has also appointed an independent commissioner, Michael Hart, to investigate.
A Report by The Mole
John Alwyn-Jones
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