The Australian Senate has launched an inquiry into the country's pilot training and airline safety amid concerns that standards are falling.
The inquiry will look at two events in particular that have raised concerns about incident reporting - a Jetstar aborted landing at Melbourne airport in June 2007 and a Tiger Airways diversion on a flight between Mackay and Melbourne in May 2009, when the aircraft was forced to change course as a result of renewed problems with the aileron control system.
Jetstar and Tiger failed to comply with incident reporting requirements by not reporting the events.
Key issues to be investigated include pilot experience requirements and the impact on safety of any reduction in flight hour requirements. The US Federal Aviation Administration's move to require a minimum of 1,500 flight hours before a pilot is able to operate regular public transport services and whether a similar mandatory requirement should be applied in Australia will also be considered.
The Senate's Rural Affairs and Transport References Committee will also examine current industry practices to recruit pilots, including pay-for-training schemes and any impact they have on safety; the retention of experienced pilots; and type rating and recurrent training for pilots.
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority's capacity to appropriately oversee and update safety regulations in light of new technologies and skill shortages will also be assessed, as will the need to provide legislative immunity to pilots and crew who report on safety matters and whether the US and European approaches would be more suitable.
The reporting of incidents to authorities and the handling of these reports, and how reporting processes can be strengthened to improve safety and training, are also on the agenda.
The Australian and International Pilots Association (AIPA) has welcomed the inquiry, believing it is essential to maintain the country's "exceptional" air safety record.
Says AIPA president Captain Barry Jackson: "In recent years we have seen a number of serious incidents, such as the Jetstar flight that came within metres of the runway in heavy fog in Melbourne in 2007 and Tiger Airways' mid-air incident last year that forced the plane to land but wasn't reported to the authorities."
The committee is due to report back by 17 November, with submissions closing on 28 October.
Source: Flight International
