Fed: Labor says CASA must look at safety, not profits
CANBERRA, Aug 31 AAP - Safety not airline profits must be the priority of the CivilAviation Safety Authority's (CASA) review of Australian aviation safety regulations, Laborsaid today.
Opposition transport spokesman Martin Ferguson said he was wary of proposals to shiftresponsibility for routine visual checks on some domestic services from engineers to pilots.
Pilots and aircraft maintenance engineers were specialised professionals and theirroles in aviation safety must be respected, he said.
"The safety regulator (CASA) must be particularly vigilant in the current aviationcompetition climate where airlines are looking in all corners for cost cuts," Mr Fergusonsaid.
"Australia has enjoyed a comparatively high safety record under the current regulatoryregime that the minister for transport now has CASA radically rewriting.
"A lot of paperwork is being generated in the review, and Labor has some concerns thataviation organisations may not have the time and resources to properly consider changes."
The Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association today warned CASA's plan tolet pilots to do plane checks on domestic flights would downgrade air safety.
Under the plan, pilots would be trained to do visual and refuelling checks when aircraftmade transit or refuelling stops on domestic routes.
Currently, those checks are carried out by licensed engineers.
Mr Ferguson said it was important CASA remembered its primary responsibility was forthe safety of the travelling public and flight crews, not airline profits.
"Labor long ago lost confidence that the minister for transport will provide this necessaryguidance, as he has long been disinterested in the transport portfolio, especially aviationsafety," Mr Ferguson said.
AAP sm/tnf/br
KEYWORD: ENGINEERS FERGUSON
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