Government ministers will shortly begin moves to recruit a new non-executive chairman and chief executive for the UK CAA, in line with the recommendations of an independent strategic review published today on the agency’s modernisation.
The UK Department for Transport (DfT) has today published Sir Joseph Pilling’s strategic review into the CAA, launched last year. Pilling’s report, the first such strategic review into the CAA structure for 35 years, recommends a number of changes to modernise the agency.
UK transport minister Ruth Kelly says that while concluding the CAA “has and continues to be highly successful” it finds its framework organisation could be modernised to meet future changes in the change aviation sector.
“Some of Sir Joseph’s recommendations are for the Government, including some which are relevant to the separate review of airport economic regulation which I announced recently, and to work on improving the passenger experience,” she says. Kelly intends to make a further statement in the autumn after considering the recommendations.
“Some of the key recommendations deal with the CAA’s governance and would bring the way that the organisation operates more in line with modern regulatory practice. It would be advantageous to make the governance reforms soon, to help lead the further changes envisaged,” she adds.
Among the recommendations is the appointment of a non-executive chair and a chief executive. Current chairman Sir Roy McNulty completes his term in office next year and Kelly says the DfT will – along the lines envisaged by Pilling - shortly start the process of seeking a part-time non-executive chairman and then a new CEO.
In addition to the appointment of a CEO, the report also calls for:
- Updating and modernising the CAA’s legal framework;
- CAA should have a general statutory duty in relation to the environment with a clear policy framework from Government;
- Legislation be amended to remove the automatic statutory reference to the Competition Commission in setting airport price caps and establish the organisation as the appellate body;
- CAA should continue its work on developing consumer policy and the DfT propose legislation to put the status and functions of the Air Transport Users Council as a specific aviation consumer body on a firm statutory basis;
- The DfT review of the economic regulation of airports should consider whether the CAA’s current duty towards users should be amended to give greater weight to passengers or consumers;
McNulty himself says: “We welcomed this review as an opportunity to improve the way the CAA works and to ensure that it is well placed to fulfil its remit, both now and in the future
“We are pleased that Sir Joseph found the CAA to be a ‘world class regulator’ and we support his recommendations, which should help prepare the CAA for the future,” he says.
Source: flightglobal.com's sister premium news site Air Transport Intelligence news
- FLIGHT'S JOBS
Source: Flight International
