Greg Russell, Honorary Chairman of The Australian Aviation Associations Forum (TAAAF) has labeled CASA's new advisory panel as the best chance yet for aviation reform.
Speaking after the first Aviation Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP) meeting on 4 September, and a TAAAF meeting held last week addressed by CASA CEO Shane Carmody, Russell told Australian Flying that he is optimistic that progess was being made.
"ASAP is a move in the right direction," he said. "I'm strongly supporting it and I think we've got the best chance we've had for a long time to make some real progess.
"I'm heartened by the fact that CASA has scrapped the 90-odd committees that were involved in consultation. Some of them were self-perpetuating and hadn't been properly managed in the past.
"The important difference with ASAP is that it will have the ability to refer matters to working groups and everything referred will have a deadline so they [the working groups] don't become self-perpetuating. ASAP will expect reports on how the working groups are progressing.
"What it will do is bring a level of discipline to the [reform] process that has been lacking in the past."
Russell cites a complete overhaul of CASA's stakeholder engagement as one of the reasons for the optimistic outlook, despite several historical failures by the regulator to sort out issues.
"I haven't seen a revamp like this in any of the earlier 'false dawns'," Russell said. "I think we've started the right way and it has real potential to deliver the goods."
CASA announced the new panel in June this year, which would be comprised of industry representatives from airlines and associations. The primary function of ASAP was described as "the primary advisory body through which CASA will direct its engagement with industry and seek input on current and future regulatory and associated policy approaches."
However, some sectors of general aviation are not convinced of the value of ASAP, which Russell recognises.
"So many people are so bruised it's going to take a long time for them to realise that things are changing," he said. "It's time for the industry to stand up and support what's happening."
One of the primary concerns from the industry are the "false dawns" and a feeling that its all been said before but so little done. Russell believes one major point of difference is the new CEO.
"Shane Carmody has a better understanding of how the system works in Canberra and knows how a government-owned organisation operates.
"He's smart enough to realise the whole stakeholder area has been a problem for CASA for many years. To go to the trouble of setting up a consultative forum like this and not heed it's advice; I can't see him being that stupid to be perfectly honest."