TexasFlyer
Apr 30, 00, 3:36 pm
From the 5/1/00 Australian
Airlines face rules turbulence
By national political writer SIMON KEARNEY
30apr00
AUSTRALIA'S passenger jets are flying on decades-old procedures that let inexperienced pilots work together and airlines cheat on fuel.
The out-of-date rules mean it is also illegal for the Civil Aviation Safety Authority or police to random breath test pilots.
And they have allowed at least one overseas-based international carrier to routinely file false flight plans to Australia and then change destination mid-flight to beat minimum fuel rules.
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has called for a major overhaul of operating procedures after admitting in a discussion paper obtained by The Sunday Telegraph that Australia was lagging behind international standards.
Spokesman Peter Gibson said the airlines would have to rewrite their operations manuals as a result of the proposed changes.
"It will bring everything up to date and reflect the fact that the rules tend to sit for a long time on the books," he said.
Aviation sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, have said that under the fuel loophole – which is perfectly legal – one airline regularly lodges a flight plan from the US to Sydney and then diverts mid-flight to Melbourne.
It openly sells tickets to passengers for Melbourne – but if its flight plans nominated Melbourne it would have had to carry more fuel and fewer passengers than Sydney.
Mr Gibson would not comment on the allegation or name the airline but said Australia's two international airlines Qantas and Ansett were not doing it.
The changes flagged include more rigorous training of flight and cabin crew and changes to all-weather operations at airports.
Pairing of low-experience pilots on domestic passenger jets as captain and co-pilot will be banned.
However, CASA has admitted the complexity of regulations and laws governing Australia's aviation industry will not allow it to introduce random breath testing of pilots even once new reg-ulations come in. "That's an issue for Government," Mr Gibson said.
The discussion paper containing the revelations is now freely available on the Internet.
"Current rules relating to the operation of large aeroplanes engaged in regular public transport/charter operations have been identified as deficient in a number of areas when compared with international standards and changes to the law are being proposed in consequence," the discussion paper says.
"Operators will be significantly affected by the introduction of these new rules."
CASA will introduce the new operating procedures after it gets comments back on the discussion paper in August. The favoured model is combined from those in use in the US and Europe.
Airlines face rules turbulence
By national political writer SIMON KEARNEY
30apr00
AUSTRALIA'S passenger jets are flying on decades-old procedures that let inexperienced pilots work together and airlines cheat on fuel.
The out-of-date rules mean it is also illegal for the Civil Aviation Safety Authority or police to random breath test pilots.
And they have allowed at least one overseas-based international carrier to routinely file false flight plans to Australia and then change destination mid-flight to beat minimum fuel rules.
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has called for a major overhaul of operating procedures after admitting in a discussion paper obtained by The Sunday Telegraph that Australia was lagging behind international standards.
Spokesman Peter Gibson said the airlines would have to rewrite their operations manuals as a result of the proposed changes.
"It will bring everything up to date and reflect the fact that the rules tend to sit for a long time on the books," he said.
Aviation sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, have said that under the fuel loophole – which is perfectly legal – one airline regularly lodges a flight plan from the US to Sydney and then diverts mid-flight to Melbourne.
It openly sells tickets to passengers for Melbourne – but if its flight plans nominated Melbourne it would have had to carry more fuel and fewer passengers than Sydney.
Mr Gibson would not comment on the allegation or name the airline but said Australia's two international airlines Qantas and Ansett were not doing it.
The changes flagged include more rigorous training of flight and cabin crew and changes to all-weather operations at airports.
Pairing of low-experience pilots on domestic passenger jets as captain and co-pilot will be banned.
However, CASA has admitted the complexity of regulations and laws governing Australia's aviation industry will not allow it to introduce random breath testing of pilots even once new reg-ulations come in. "That's an issue for Government," Mr Gibson said.
The discussion paper containing the revelations is now freely available on the Internet.
"Current rules relating to the operation of large aeroplanes engaged in regular public transport/charter operations have been identified as deficient in a number of areas when compared with international standards and changes to the law are being proposed in consequence," the discussion paper says.
"Operators will be significantly affected by the introduction of these new rules."
CASA will introduce the new operating procedures after it gets comments back on the discussion paper in August. The favoured model is combined from those in use in the US and Europe.