Kieran Daly/LONDON
The second half of the 1990s will test Europe's general aviation (GA) operators beyond precedent, but it may also reward them, as never before. What is beyond doubt is that any operator believing that it can carry on as usual is destined for a truncated life span.
The strikingly upbeat tone of this year's UK General Aviation Manufacturers and Traders Association (GAMTA) annual conference on 2-3 March - attended overwhelmingly by traders rather than manufacturers - suggests that most operators feel in good shape. They are getting a strong message of support from their Government (Flight International, 8-14 March) and have had many of their concerns about the new Joint Aviation Regulations (JARs) addressed. The great unknown is what their mainland European competitors are planning.
The Government's new-found enthusiasm for GA - which is still far short of full-blooded - is driven as much, if not more, by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), which is largely concerned with industrial competitiveness, as by the Department of Transport (DTp). A growing recognition is emerging in UK Government circles of the importance of GA to the competitiveness of the nation.
Senior DTI civil servant Michael Hodson told the conference that a Department study showed that aviation infrastructure was the third most important factor for companies in deciding their business location. The study found that company chairmen most often make that decision, and are also the people most likely to use a corporate aircraft. The Government is nudging municipal authorities to get them to consider GA's needs at the growing number of UK airfield planning inquiries and promises to tackle the anticipated contraventions of European free-market law in other nations, as required.
However enthusiastic, UK businesses, along with their European counterparts, will still have to play by the rules. For aircraft operators, that means the JARs, which are still very much in formulation. The GAMTA conference heard that JAR-OPS 1, covering fixed-wing commercial air transport, will be implemented formally on 1 April, 1997, for larger aircraft (more than 19 passengers/10t) and on 1 April, 1999, for smaller types, after which the rules will have the force of European law. A phased approach will be used, but the UK Civil Aviation Authority is encouraging compliance for all aircraft by 1 April 1997.
A major issue, with substantial cost implications for GA operators, is the equipment required for carriage on aircraft. Some items, if not carried already, will be expensive. Notable among these are the compulsory auto-pilot for single-pilot instrument-flight-rules operations; the weather radar required for aircraft of more than 5,700kg, or with more than nine passengers (the first time the latter distinction has been used in rule-making); electronic location-transmitters; and 2h-duration cockpit-voice recorders. Some rules are less severe than the CAA's existing regulations.
The comment period on the JAR flight crew-licensing rules will end shortly, leading to adoption of the rule in October and implementation on 1 January 1998. The Joint Aviation Authorities says that it is down to fine-tuning and will only be amenable to strong arguments based on, for example, safety or practicality.
It has its own concerns now with implementation: drawing up and translating some 5,000 written exam-questions is one; handling the objections of various nations to the proposed common-licence documentation is another. Officials concede that a foolproof system is probably impossible to devise initially, but the JARs are coming and there is a determination to make them stick as soon as possible.
UK and indeed other operators have so far, been more cautious than expected in taking up the opportunities offered, by the new Europe. The trigger for wider activity, doubtless accompanied by enhanced earnings for the lawyers, may be the coming of full cabotage in 1997. Whatever the case, the English Channel looks narrower than ever.
Source: Flight International
