Aeria Management Group, the company that operates both Bankstown and Camden Airports, has urged the Federal Government to invest in net-zero technologies in its submission to the aviation white paper.
According to Aeria's submission, dated 30 November 2023, general aviation airports need greater recognition for the key role of underpinning essential services and emerging aviation technologies, including their contribution to enhancing regional connectivity and driving the national transition to net zero.
Among the recommendations in the Aeria submission are:
- government funding and/or financial incentives to establish innovation and decarbonisation infrastructure hubs at metro general aviation airports
- a whole-of-airspace review of key capital city markets encompassing the full range of current and emerging AAM aircraft, including drones, and full suite of airspace, including ADF airspace boundaries and restrictions
- adoption of global best practice and regulations in determining safe and equitable flight paths.
“Australia has the potential to lead the evolution towards electric-hydrogen aircraft, uncrewed flights and drones, which will fly the future of essential services such as patient transfers, search-and-rescue missions and flight training, along with faster freight deliveries and city commutes and enhanced regional connectivity,” said AMG CEO Daniel Jarosch.
“General aviation airports such as Bankstown Airport and Camden Airport are perfectly placed to become world-leading innovation hubs.
"Government support through our proposed new Aviation Infrastructure Fund and Aviation Innovation Fund is critical to enabling the development and take-up of emerging technologies and the delivery of national net zero targets.”
Aeria points out that combined, Bankstown and Camden Airports turn-over $2.6 billion and support 4550 on-site jobs and 4150 in-direct jobs in the supply chain, but still have the capacity to contribute to emerging aviation innovation and technology.
"The Green Paper rightly positions general aviation as the launchpad of sustainable aviation and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) and as essential to ensuring pilot and engineer pipelines to meet the evolving needs of the sector," the submission states.
"Building innovation hubs for such technologies at metro general aviation airports will drive the aviation sector’s role in the national transition to net zero. Innovation hubs at metro general aviation airports will also enhance regional connectivity and collaboration with regional airports.
"Metro general aviation airports have the unique mix of factors that best suit start up and scale up aeronautical operations, including lower cost space, complementary landside operations, strategic flexibility, prime locations and smaller aircraft fleets.
"Adding government support to this mix would help enable and facilitate such innovation hubs and realise Australia’s potential to be a leader in emerging aviation technologies."
The full submission is on the Aeria Management Group website.