CASA to help Australian industry develop offshore markets

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority has pledged to seek bi-lateral aviation safety arrangements to help the local aviation industry develop overseas markets.

CASA's Director of Aviation Safety, John McCormick (pictured), told an Aviation/Aerospace Australia seminar in Melbourbe recently that CASA was working to establish bi-lateral and technical arrangements with a number of other countries, including Singapore, Korea, Canada and the European Union.

McCormick said that the Federal Transport Minister had made it clear that CASA is expected to pursue the establishment of appropriate mutual recognition arrangements, because even though the Australian aerospace sector employs about 13,000 people, with revenue of about $3.9 billion, the domestic market for aviation products is relatively small. Currently exports make up about 25 per cent of the industry's revenue.

McCormick said that one issue facing the exporters of aviation products was the need for an approval from CASA, as well as from the nation to which the product is being exported.

"We recognise that the requirement for duplicate approvals adds to time and costs for manufacturers and can be an impediment to exports.

"CASA will continue to seek opportunities to achieve greater recognition of Australia's safety system and acceptance of CASA's certification by other aviation authorities.

"While CASA has a number of specific technical arrangements with other national aviation authorities, the Government has recognised the industry's desire for increasing the range and scope of such arrangements, and asked CASA to continue to pursue these."