CASA Media Release - Monday, 16 April 2001
Ansett must prove its safety
A requirement for Ansett Australia to prove it can continue to operate safely as an Australian airline has not been withdrawn by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority.
Ansett will be issued with a formal Show Cause notice on Friday 20 April unless it can convince CASA that all current safety and organisational concerns will be properly addressed.
Ansett must put forward a plan to improve management systems and deal with specific maintenance problems.
CASA will go ahead with the Show Cause notice unless it is satisfied with the responses from Ansett.
Ansett's plans must show how improvements will be made both at a management level in the airline and on the shop floor in the maintenance area.
Importantly, Ansett will have to demonstrate how it will provide better leadership, training and resource support for their staff.
CASA has told Ansett that it will welcome details of the plan being submitted ahead of the issue of the formal Show Cause notice on Friday.
Any early submission of proposals for reform is a positive step by Ansett to achieving the improvements needed to prevent any further safety problems.
But the travelling public rightly expects CASA to be satisfied that Ansett will make the required large safety improvements.
Until the details are carefully studied and the proposals accepted by CASA, the Show Cause notice process will continue.
This process holds the ultimate sanction that if CASA is not satisfied that Ansett has a plan to achieve high safety standards their permission to operate will be withdrawn 14 days from Friday 20 April.
Media contact
Peter Gibson
ph 02 6217 1015
mobile 0419 296 446
Ref: MR0119