Our environment
Who are our stakeholders?
- 21 million Australians
- more than 67 million domestic and international airline travellers each year
- participants in more than 1.6 million general aviation flying hours annually
- holders of over 12,500 aircraft registrations on the Australian Civil Aircraft Register
- almost 900 air operator’s certificate holders
- over 700 maintenance organisations
- nearly 300 aerodrome operators
- one provider of air traffic services, aeronautical telecommunications, and air traffic services training
- three providers of aerodrome rescue and fire fighting services
- over 34,000 pilots and other flight crew
- almost 6,500 licensed aircraft maintenance engineers
- approximately 27,000 members of sports aviation organisations
- the Minister for Transport and Regional Services and the Federal Parliament
- 621 CASA staff.
Industry background
Over the past decade, the global air transport industry has grown at a steady rate, despite significant service interruptions. A feature of the Australian air transport industry has been continuous growth in passenger traffic. This is demonstrated by a number of significant industry changes, including a gradual increase in the average size of aircraft, the expansion of low-cost carriers, increased international air transport traffic and shortages of skilled personnel.
As the Australian air transport industry expands, CASA is required to meet significant increases in the demand for surveillance of aviation safety and the provision of high-quality regulation. The International Civil Aviation Organization continues to forecast a global increase in world scheduled traffic of 4.4 per cent per annum, and the Asia–Pacific region, including Australia, is expected to have the largest share of passenger traffic growth.
The recent increase in international flights to Australia has slowed, with only a modest growth of 1.4 per cent in the year ended 30 June 2006. Over the next few years growth is expected to increase quickly, however, given changes in commercial activity in the region.
International air transport changes include:
- Etihad increasing frequency, and now providing daily flights to Australia
- Jetstar International expanding its routes after receiving A330s from Qantas (these aircraft will be used until the B787s start arriving at the end of 2008, when further route expansion is expected)
- Emirates Airlines almost doubling its flights to Australia
- interest from other international low-cost carriers to operate into and within Australia.
Australia’s domestic airline industry has experienced another growth year, with more than 41.8 million passengers carried in the year ended 30 June 2006, 5.8 per cent higher than in the previous year. There has been a marked increase in regional activity in Western Australia and northern Queensland.
The general aviation industry consists of non-airline commercial activity, including low-capacity regular public transport, charter flights, and aerial work ranging from complex mineral survey operations and emergency services to flying training and one-person agricultural operations. The sector also includes sport, recreational and private activities. Supporting industry, including maintenance providers, is also included.
The general aviation sector includes 843 air operator’s certificate holders and 663 certificate of approval holders. The overall number of people and organisations holding these qualifications has remained relatively steady.
CASA experienced a lull in activity for regulatory services from drought-affected rural communities, but the number of permission applications—for air operator’s certificates, certificates of approval to conduct maintenance, and many other permissions required for various aspects of operations, maintenance, manufacturing and design—is returning to previously high levels.
The growing interest in new technology will impose demands on CASA to introduce new aircraft types to air operator’s certificates.
The network of CASA delegates and approved persons that support CASA in the delivery of permissions continues to expand and is a vital part of our safety framework. Improvements in the assessment and management of CASA delegates and approved persons are being planned for 2007–08.
Some examples of changes in Australian domestic air transport are:
- Jetstar’s transition from Boeing B717s to Airbus A320s
- Virgin Blue continuing to increase capacity based on an all-Boeing B737-800 fleet on major routes, and introducing Embraer E170 and E190 aircraft on regional routes
- Skywest increasing capacity with the purchase of Fokker F100s
- Rex increasing capacity by retiring its Metros and replacing them with SAAB-340s
- Sunstate increasing capacity with the
Dash 8 Q400 - Alliance increasing capacity by expanding its fleet with additional Fokker F100s
- Air North transitioning from low-capacity to high-capacity regular public transport with the addition of the Embraer E170
- Macair looking to replace its Metros with ATR42 and SAAB-340 aircraft
- Tiger Airways commencing operations with up to five Airbus A320s.