CASA's Director of Aviation Safety, John McCormick, will not seek to extend his contract after it expires.
McCormick will leave the position after 31 August 2014, even though his contract expires next month. The CASA board requested this to enable to board to find a new Director and to assist the board’s assessment of the Aviation Safety Regulation Review scheduled to be completed around the end of May.
Board Chairman Dr Allan Hawke praised Mr McCormick’s key role in taking "significant regulatory action in relation to a few aviation operators, aircraft types and aircraft equipment over the last five years."
The press release that accompanied the announcement credited McCormick's tenure with the following.
- refocussing CASA on regulation of aviation safety as its core activity
- improving CASA’s governance by restructuring it around functional lines
- ensuring CASA staff are properly trained and deployed through the Brisbane-based training school and establishment of the Central Region and satellite offices at Broome, Gove, Horn Island and Kununurra
- addressing emerging issues such as remotely piloted aircraft and Australia’s ageing aircraft
- completion of the major part of the modernisation of aviation safety standards in a most expeditious manner and the attendant improvements in industry performance through the regulatory reform program
- introducting advanced air traffic navigation and surveillance equipment
- reforming CASA’s surveillance and safety management systems oversight; and
- enhancing air traffic services at major regional and capital city secondary airports.
McCormick has also been credited with developing a more stable funding model for CASA.