Australian Aviation - July 2018

(Ben Green) #1

112 AUSTRALIAN AVIATION


T


he June announcement that
JetGo had entered voluntary
administration was a blow for
our regions, with scheduled
passenger (but not charter) services by
the airline suspended immediately.
A relatively new entrant, JetGo’s
RPT services had been welcome
additions for many regional centres
on the east coast, and the airline had
shown great vision launching jet RPT
services to communities not currently
served by an airline, with Illawarra
being a good example.
Here, JetGo launched the first
airline services for the airport in
several years. They proved popular,
with passengers making the most of
the ability to fly direct to Melbourne
or Brisbane.
It shows services like these have
strong potential to deliver for airlines,
while creating economic opportunity
and vital connections for the
community.
It is therefore very important that
the industry does not lose sight of the

very positive changes the airline has
delivered.
However, the news also confirmed
what many of us already know:
attracting and retaining new services
to the regions is tough.
With many regional centres only
served by one airline, the market
power of existing operators makes
it challenging for new entrants. It is
a challenge many of our members
know only too well, and one that’s
not easily solved, especially for those
airports trying to make the case for
new services.
The current Senate enquiry into
the operation, regulation and funding
of air route service delivery to rural,
regional and remote communities is
examining the issue of regional air
routes and airfares.
In the AAA’s submission to the
inquiry, we shared member feedback
that some regional airports had been
asked by airlines to reduce charges
off the back of a threat to withdraw
services. That’s a reflection of the

challenges regional airports face when
their revenues are being squeezed,
and the difficulty airports have in
creating space for a more competitive
landscape.
The inquiry process may provide
some insight into how we can
support the success of new entrants
in the regional market to ensure our
communities remain connected and
thriving for years to come.
For now though, our impacted
members have focused on reinstating
services as quickly as possible.
They may need to look to other
airlines to meet their community’s
needs – and they may need to
once again make the case for their
communities.
When they do, they will be looking
to existing operators to step up to
the plate. It is only through genuine
partnership between regional airports
and the airlines that serve them that
we can ensure sustainable air services
over the long term.
Our regions depend on them.

O


n federal budget night the
aviation industry learnt that
the government will introduce
enhanced screening procedures
for all passengers and their baggage
at a number of additional regional
airports. This news was surprising,
and the timing of the announcement
disappointing, especially given the
excellent intelligence-driven, risk-based
approach applied to regional airport
security over the past several years.
By way of argument, a review of the
current National Threat Assessment
would most likely highlight that the
current targets of choice are to be
found in mass gatherings. Mid-city
streets and boulevards, large shopping
centres, train stations, ferry terminals,
major airport check-in areas etc, and
this has driven increased security in
places such as central Sydney and
Melbourne.
We suggest that a much lower
number of people waiting at a rural
airport for their air service, based on

the current threat assessment, would
not rate as an attractive mass gathering
target!
While the total costs of this
proposal are yet to be calculated by
the Department of Infrastructure and
Regional Development, the whole
expense needs to be considered and not
just the once-off capital expenditure to
purchase the high-tech scanning and
surveillance equipment and systems.
The RAAA is concerned that
ongoing costs – the employment and
ongoing training costs for specialised
staff – will quickly outweigh the initial
purchase and installation costs.
Any additional increase in regional
airfares to offset these costs would be
unsustainable.
Instead, the only fair and reasonable
way to fund this proposed policy is for
the costs to be shared equally by every
Australian domestic air traveller, or
the public purse. Given that the people
most likely to benefit from the ‘warm
glow of security’ are the population at

large, the funding source should be the
latter – consolidated revenue.
However, as the RAAA continues
to support both a secure and viable
regional airline industry, we suggest
that perhaps the best way forward as a
reasonable and acceptable compromise
would be to examine and adopt the
American approach. The US has the
ASSIST (Airport Security System
Integrated Support Testing) program,
whose goal is to strengthen the aviation
system by establishing the best possible
security solution in the unique context
of that airport’s location. I would also
add to the airports’ location... “and its
operational environment”.
This approach would be aligned
with a risk-based and intelligence-
driven regime that would be broadly
supported by the aviation industry.
The regional airline community
would welcome any form of
consultation with government policy
and decision-makers on this emerging
financial threat.

‘They may


need to once


again make the


case for their


communities.’


‘This


news was


surprising.’


Regional challenges


Supporting the success of new entrants


Alert and alarmed


Counting the costs of new regional airport screening


AIRPORTS
CAROLINE WILKIE
CEO  AAA

FROM THE REGIONS
MIKE HIGGINS
CEO  RAAA
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