[Peetwo]

Dear Mr Comardy (c/o Fort Fumble)

30th November 2016
 
 
Mr Shane Carmody
Acting Director of Aviation Safety
Civil Aviation Safety Authority
GPO Box 2005
Canberra ACT 2601
Australia
 
Mr Rob Walker
Group Manager
CASA Stakeholder Engagement Group
GPO Box 2005
Canberra ACT 2601
Australia
 
The Hon Darren Chester MP
Minister for Infrastructure and Transport
House of Representatives
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Australia.
 
- Members of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association
- Users of the Aviation Advertiser – Australia network
- Government Ministers and Senators
- Industry media
 
 
AOPA Australia calls on CASA to give a genuine commitment to consult and negotiate with industry on ADSB 2020 extension
 
 
Mr Carmody,
 
I am writing to you on behalf of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) of Australia in response to your November 2016 CASA Briefing Newsletter and your recent ADSB 2020 announcement.
 
As you would be aware, the AOPA Australia have been actively communicating (to CASA and the Minister’s office) on behalf of the general aviation industry, seeking an extension to the ADSB 2017 deadline so as to provide urgent industry assistance and relief.  
 
The AOPA Australia call to extend has been in response to considerable feedback from both commercial general aviation operators and private aircraft owners who are being unfairly disadvantaged as a result of CASA and Airservices premature ADSB 2017 installation mandate. 
 
Throughout meetings with CASA across the past five months, representatives of your organisation have continually refused to openly discuss the ADSB issue and extension request, stating that no extension was being considered or would be considered by CASA.   The regulators stance has also been communicated by yourself in recent Senate Estimates hearings, clearly signaling a refusal to engage on the topic.
 
The AOPA Australia wish to be clear in communicating that there has been NO genuine discussion, NO genuine consideration and NO genuine consultation by CASA with industry on the ADSB extension issue.  There has been NO genuine opportunity to collectively discuss the merits of both CASA’s position and that of industry, an entirely unacceptable situation.
 
As a result of the above CASA’s recently announced ADSB 2020 extension instrument does not reflect the needs of the Australian general aviation industry and is entirely unworkable in its present form, providing no genuine value or relief to industry at a time when it is needed most.
 
The CASA ADSB 2020 instrument is an insult to industry and serves to reinforce the findings of the recent Colmar Brunton report that demonstrates that less than 30% of our industry has any trust or faith in the decisions CASA is making.  
 
The announcement does nothing towards bridging the deep divide that exists between the regulator and industry, a trust vacuum which has been earned by CASA through decades of inappropriate general aviation management and regulatory neglect.
 
Mr Carmody, as acting CEO and Director of Aviation Safety you have published a number of public statements which include; “CASA faces many challenges in today’s aviation environment and discussing issues and listening to feedback is one of the keys to finding the right responses to these challenges” and “I look forward to the support of the aviation community to contribute to this significant commitment through a collaborative and co-operative approach”.
 
With respect to the ADSB 2020 extension and your public statements, CASA in all honesty cannot claim to have genuinely discussed and listened to industry on the issue, nor can you objectively expect the support of the aviation community as a result of not doing so.
 
The ADSB 2020 announcement is a calculated and deceptive political sleight of hand that is designed to make it appear as if CASA are working to assist industry, when in fact CASA are doing nothing and giving nothing.
 
Therefore, the AOPA Australia are calling on you to convene a meeting next week in Canberra with industry so that we may openly discuss the ADSB issue and for CASA to provide a clear commitment to undertake genuine consultation and negotiation, so as to arrive at a workable industry solution that provides honest assistance on the issue of ADSB going forward.
 
We would appreciate a formal response.
 
Yours sincerely,
 
BENJAMIN MORGAN
Executive Director - Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) 
 
Mobile: 0415 577 724
Telephone: (02) 9791 9099
Email: ben.morgan@aopa.com.au

 L&Ks Ben Morgan CEO AOPAOz