Director of Aviation Safety Mark Skidmore has reflected on the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA).
CASA was founded on 6 July, 1995, to take over air safety regulation after the functions of the Civil Aviation Authority were separated.
"Whatever your views of CASA it is a notable milestone for a still relatively young organisation and provided a moment to reflect on the journey so far and our future," Skidmore says in a yet-to-be released CASA Briefing Newsletter for July.
"I will not pretend CASA is perfect or the best in every aspect of what we do, but we are highly regarded internationally, well respected by most Australians and take pride in striving for the best possible safety outcomes for everyone. We are committed to improving the way we operate and right now plans are being developed for a range of changes over the coming months and years to lift CASA’s performance in key areas.
"I can also assure everyone that we are strongly committed to delivering on the Government’s response to the Aviation Safety Regulation Review and work on these initiatives is continuing."
Skidmore goes on to say that he believes both the traveling public and the aviation community expect CASA to put safety first, and that CASA has to deliver appropriate outcomes keeping the regulatory burden as low as possible.
"I see my role as making sure the CASA of today and into the future gets the balance right. An aviation safety regulator cannot take a ‘light’ approach to safety, nor can we overburden the aviation community with regulatory red tape. It is not an easy balance to strike, yet that is our job."
Skidmore is the fifth permanent head of CASA since it was founded after Leroy Keith, Mick Toller, Bruce Byron and John McCormick.