The Federal Government has announced it will introduce a suite of new licensing regulations before the end of the year in a bid to enhance aviation safety and further deliver on the recommendations of the Aviation White Paper.

Federal Transport and Infrastructure Minister, Anthony Albanese, said that the regulations will cover crew licensing, flight raining and flight checking, and have been finalised after a consultation process with the Civil Aviation Safety Authority.

The regulations aim to deliver operation benefits such as:

  • greater alignment with the International Civil Aviation Organization standards and recommended practices;
  • strengthening licensing and training requirements for personnel flying passenger services including increased training requirements for co-pilots;
  • improved standards for training organisations with a stronger focus on flight activity and aircraft specific competency;
  • better alignment with modern vocational education requirements; and
  • addressing Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) recommendations through introducing requirements for ratings for low-level flying and additional requirements for night time visual flying.

The new regulations will commence in December this year and will be phased in over the next three to four years, giving industry time to transition to the new safety arrangements.