MINUTES NSW Division Meeting

Date: 3 September 2015

Location: Rydges Sydney Airport

Chair – Lindsay Mason, Dubbo City Regional Airport

Apologies: Cr Chris Gryllis – Orange City Council, Ken Allcott – Sydney Airport

Minutes from last meeting circulated. No amendments. Accepted.

Chair offered vote of thanks to former Chair, Stephen Prowse, for his leadership and support to the NSW Division over his period as division chair.

AAA NSW Division Chair report – Lindsay Mason Chair spoke about telephone hook‐up with NSW Police to discuss better policing at NSW airports. Highlighted that policing requirements aren’t always criminal matters, but also about providing support for airport operators to promote a safe and secure environment. AAA will coordinate a survey on policing needs to facilitate greater cooperation between NSW airports and the NSW Police.

AAA CEO report – Caroline Wilkie CEO officially launched ‘Airport Practice Note 6 – Managing Bird Strike’. Emerged from the ATSB report in 2014 on bird strike issues at Australian airports. Available on AAA and ATSB website.

Two more practice notes launched at National Conference. One on small regional aerodromes; one on airside safety – aimed at both regional and larger airports.

New AAA team members – Matt Alison, Education Manager. Amanda Hurley, Member Services Officer.

Strategic Plan 2015‐16 update.

New website update. New resources and availability of access to material for members.

Member survey update. 1200 participants. 36% of members taking part, which is much higher than 2013. 88% member satisfaction. Significant increase in small regional and corporate member satisfaction. Top three challenges identified in survey. Training and industry development identified as a major requirement of the association. Airside operations also a big issue for operators.

Major projects for 2015 – mentoring program, education program, emergency planning forum in November in Sydney, small regional aerodrome teleconference, Airport Safety Week, National Conference, security issues, planning issues (NASF), CASA and aerodrome safety, red tape reduction/deregulation, regional airport infrastructure.

Events – National Conference in October. Airport Safety Week. Emergency Safety Forum.

AAA office moving in late September, closer to the terminal at CBR. Spare office available for members to use while in Canberra. Boardroom will also be available for AAA meetings or members to use for meetings in CBR. Office closed for three days over the move period.

Launched new membership directory for 2015 membership year, including broader categories for member listing. Requested members to update directory with new information.

AAA National Chair – Stephen Goodwin National Chair congratulated CEO for development of AAA strategic plan and membership survey. Congratulated CEO for the improvement in services and value to members of the AAA over the past 5 years.

Congratulated former Chair, Steve Prowse, for his service as outgoing division chair.

National Chair discussed constitutional reform of the AAA (see presentation for greater detail). Provided history of previous constitutional change in the past, including last change in 2012 to broaden AAA Board membership. Reform proposal includes board members appointing chair rather than members, including minimum length of chair term (at least two years) before board re‐election, two year term for Division Chair, staggered election (division board members one year, sector board members second year), redefinition of small regional aerodrome director threshold (from 20,000 pax to 49,999 pax).

Former AAA NSW Division Chair – Steve Prowse Steve Prowse provided an update on meeting with the NSW Minister for Transport, the Hon Andrew Constance MP. Meeting was to discuss airport tourism grants. Vast majority of submissions were well developed and the Minister was supportive of funding regional airport sector. Grant scheme increased from $50 to $95 million. Good to see NSW State Government is listening to industry and offering support for industry development. No definitive answer on when grant funding would be made available.

AAA NSW Division AGM Stephen Goodwin, AAA National Chair, chaired the AGM and called for the election of the division executive: AAA NSW Division Chair AAA NSW Division Deputy Chair AAA NSW Division Secretary

AAA NSW Division Chair: Nomination of one member: Lindsay Mason by Kel Gardiner, seconded by Julie Stewart

Motion put to members. Motion carried. Lindsay Mason appointed AAA NSW Division Chair

AAA NSW Division Deputy Chair: Nomination of one member: Kel Gardiner by David Costello, seconded by Jon Stewart

Motion put to members. Motion carried. Kel Gardiner appointed AAA NSW Deputy Chair

AAA NSW Division Secretary: Nomination of one member: Jon Stewart by Lindsay Mason, seconded by Kel Gardiner

Motion put to members. Motion carried. Jon Stewart appointed AAA NSW Division Secretary

NSW Division update Members provided an update on works at various NSW Division airports.

Corporate members update Corporate members provided updates on their projects and works in the sector.

Airservices Australia update – Steve Tattam Airservices is consulting with industry at present on the long term pricing deal which will set Airservices usage charges over the coming 5 years. This is open for consultation until Friday 11 September.

Ballina Airport has recently had an Airservices ARFF station opened. Airservices is working with Ballina Airport to support joint activities with the airport.

OneSky ATM system implementation is proceeding according to plan. This will allow civil and defence operations to take place on the one ATM platform, allowing greater collaboration. The OneSky system is currently out for tender and Airservices is reviewing options. OneSky will allow for one FIR across Australia, improving efficiencies and reducing unnecessary duplication across the en route airspace management. New back‐of‐house technology infrastructure will be constructed at MEL and BNE to support OneSky. MEL and BNE en route centres will remain, but be refurbished and coordinated to support the new singular FIR environment.

Navigation Rationalisation Project is being rolled out to reduce around 200 nav aids from the system. An asset plan will need to be put in place for the removal of assets at each airport site, along with a remediation plan for the site location. More information can be found on the Airservices website, including a list of which nav aids will be removed/retained around Australia.

Airservices working with new international airlines to determine what equipment they require on‐ board to operate in Australian airspace. Some of these airlines are looking at arriving at regional airports without towers or precision landing equipment, so challenges are emerging to address this.

Many regional airports are starting to look at developing ANEF maps as part of master plans. Airservices reminded airports that they should get in as early as possible given the time it takes to complete the analysis and modelling work. Airservices indicate that a rough guide of 6‐12 months for consultation and development of the ANEF/ANEC material.

Airservices are advising airports that they are not in a position to model an OLS or PANS‐OPS surface chart – encourage airports to engage with an aviation consultant if this material is required.

Union negotiations with ATC personnel coming up in next few months. Poor negotiations 6‐7 years ago are unlikely to be repeated, and all indications so far are positive.

Caroline Wilkie noted that the AAA fully supports Airservices Australia and noted that many issues in the media are political posturing and are being reported incorrectly.

CASA update – Darren Angelo Darren Angelo provided an update on the MOS 139 review, which has been driven by airport operators and the AAA.

The MOS 139 review is not just a review of the Manuel of Standards, but a wider review of how the MOS is applied around the nation. CASA has formed a working group to address the reform with industry.

CASA looks to align Part 139 with haxards and risks for aerodromes, question the need for government intervention in differing circumstances, consider ICAO approaches and how this can be incorporated into Australia, and introduce outcome based standards (where applicable) around the country. Guiding principles for Part 139 review focus on protection to the travelling public, only hold aerodrome operators accountable for issues only within their control, and ensure regulations dictate outcomes – not how they should be delivered.

Proposed regulatory document structure will retain three tier system – Act, Regulations and Manual of Standards. Introduction of new AMC‐GM.

Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) process will allow formal drafting of new MOS material following ‘lay drafting’ period with industry (specifically the industry working group). ‘Lay Drafts’ are currently being developed in the interim to allow industry to see what the proposed documents may look like. ‘Lay draft’ process involves a line‐by‐line comparisons between Annex 14 and the new MOS.

New chapters 5 and 6 and supporting AMC‐GM are expected to be released as a draft within the next month. All chapters released to working group by end of November. Further update provided to industry at the AAA National Conference. NPRM process formally commence in November.

CASA requires further feedback on what industry needs to be compliant during the drafting process. More information on industry involvement opportunities found within presentation.

AAA ensured working group included all sized airports, in addition to representation by AAA staff. AAA will consult with members throughout process for those who would like to provide input.

Orange Airport Expansion – Kel Gardiner, Orange Regional Airport Kel Gardiner provided a photographic presentation displaying the expansion works at Orange Regional Airport.

The airport expansion included a new building for the Orange Aero Club, named the Max Hazleton Aero Centre, which includes a medical transfer room for the use of Air Ambulance or the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

After analysis of whether to expand the existing terminal or construct a new terminal facility, Orange Regional Airport concluded that a new airport terminal should be constructed. The facility includes two gates and the potential to include airline lounges in the future. All works were undertaken on airport land using an SEZ to minimise disruption to operations and improve construction efficiency.

The works included a runway expansion and apron expansion to cater for the F‐100 aircraft that regularly visits Orange Airport. Expansion of the runway now creates an intersection between the sealed runway and the grass runway. In wet weather, the sealed section drains onto the grass runway, creating water build up, which has closed the grass runway on several occasions.

Runway grooving case study – David Costello, Albury Airport David Costello provided an update on the runway grooving project at Albury Airport.

Albury Airport received a non‐compliance notice from CASA for not grooving the full length of the runway. The end of the runway was not grooved in order to prevent damage when aircraft conduct 180 degree turns beyond the threshold. Albury Airport did not argue that they were non‐compliant and then considered the remedy to the issue. Considered grooving ends, but this would risk pavement damage. Considered friction testing, but this was too expensive (over $10,000). Albury Airport conducted grease patch testing on non‐ grooved surface, and then developed a risk management plan to consider the risks of non‐grooving the runway ends.

The risk management plan included a comprehensive hazard identification of all risks and a risk assessment of the identified hazards.

Responded to CASA by acknowledging the NCN as technically correct, but noted that the un‐grooved sections were a low risk to safety and that strict compliance would damage the runway and create a FOD risk on the runway.

CASA responded with great cooperation and were supportive of the approach taken by Albury Airport. CASA now looking at a grant of exception that will allow operation without strict compliance. Albury Airport will own risk, but risk assessment has demonstrated due diligence in analysis of the risk. 3 year exemption period, which can be extended.

David highlighted this is exactly why outcome based standards are required and that CASA is heading in the right direction with changes to the MOS.

Sydney Airport update – Jon Stewart, Sydney Airport Jon Stewart provided an update on the current works being undertaken at Sydney Airport, along with an update on the Western Sydney Airport development and what role Sydney Airport is playing.

The presentation addressed the future growth opportunities of Sydney Airport with the Chinese market, and how Sydney Airport is partnering with a number of stakeholders to stimulate demand in overseas markets.

What can NSW airports do to attract airlines’ attention – Hans Mitterlechner, Three Consulting Hans Mitterlechner discussed growth and capacity trends in domestic aviation around Australia over the past 5 years.

The presentation discussed that almost 75% of growth in domestic aviation has occurred along ‘trunk routes’ around Australia, and that the mining boom is coming to an end, reducing the level of demand for FIFO travel.

A number of network development trends in 2015 have demonstrated a preference for non‐mining related growth, with many airlines open to new and alternative route development opportunities.

In NSW, there has been a great deal of regional aviation development, with many airlines finding new routes for the aircraft that were once used on mining related routes.

Understanding airline dynamics and building strong relationships with airlines is important, given the competitive nature of airline route development.

It is important for airports to capture market data and present to airlines – airlines don’t have the information they often need to make a strong decision about commencing services or expanding. Traveller surveys can provide a huge amount of information on market size and nature that can assist developing a business case for presentation with an airline.

Jetgo at Dubbo and Tamworth airports – Lindsay Mason and Julie Stewart Julie and Lindsay presented on the different experiences of Jetgo by both Dubbo Airport and Tamworth Airport. Prior to entry at Dubbo and Tamworth, Jetgo had a number of unreliable services from Sydney and Brisbane.

Jetgo commenced services in October 2014 from Tamworth to Brisbane after Brindabella ceased services in December 2013. Commenced services with 3 return a week, and expanded to daily return within 6 weeks.

There was a strong disconnect between the operational side of the organisation and the marketing side – great marketing, but sometimes they weren’t getting the message out about new services. Very good at face‐to‐face promotion – built excitement through. Also promote a lot through sale fares – down to $99 sale fares one way at times.

Jetgo commenced services in July 2015 with $99 one way fares from Dubbo to Brisbane. One flight per day on four days per week (Sun, Mon, Wed, Fri), hoping to go to six (adding Tue and Thu). Still achieving 97% load factor with now $248 one way flights.

Passenger experience has been high quality at both airports – experience from passengers has been very positive through the eyes of the airport operators.

General business None

Next meeting First half of 2016 (date TBA)