The Future of Australia's Aviation Sector
The Australian Government is continuing to work closely with the aviation industry as it faces the ongoing challenges associated with COVID-19.
The government is providing support for freight and critical passenger movements through a range of assistance programs, focused on:
- maintaining supply lines for air freight exports and imports, including essential medical supplies and equipment
- maintaining essential air connectivity without subsidising commercially viable services; and
- preserving critical capacity so a competitive aviation market can restart as the economy emerges from COVID-19 and COVID restrictions are lifted.
The government's support not only helps Australia's airlines but the broader aviation industry, regional Australia, and other industries such as tourism and time-sensitive trade, which depend heavily on aviation.
Looking ahead to recovery
While responding to the immediate COVID-19 crisis, the Australian Government is also looking ahead, to ensure the aviation sector is on a sustainable long term footing once travel bans and border restrictions are lifted. This is challenging task, which requires the expertise and input of the sector and those that rely on it.
The government is seeking public input to inform a Five-Year Plan, to strengthen and grow the Australian aviation sector beyond COVID-19.
Input will be sought via the following processes over the coming months.
The Future of Australia's Aviation Sector—Issues Paper
The Australian Government is examining options to further support and strengthen the aviation industry, both to manage the current impacts of the COVID-19 downturn, support the recovery and look at pathways for longer-term reform.
The department released the Future of Australia's Aviation Sector Issues Paper PDF: 2566 KB to canvass industry and community views on potential policy directions to manage the opportunities and challenges facing the sector.
Final submissions were accepted until 27 November 2020 and the department is now considering them.
Public Submissions on the Future of Australia’s Aviation Sector Issues Paper
Public submissions made on the Future of Australia's Aviation Sector Issues Paper are set out below, except for the submissions that were submitted as confidential submissions. Published submissions have been redacted in some cases to remove personal or sensitive information (such as personal addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, licence or membership numbers, and scanned signatures). The Department is not responsible for the content of these submissions, which remains the responsibility of the original authors, and submissions do not represent the views of the Department.
| # | Author | Submission |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Save Kempsey Airport Action Group | PDF: 1263 KB |
| 2 | Australian Corporate Jet Centres | PDF: 116 KB |
| 3 | C.W. Whitney | PDF: 389 KB |
| 4 | General Aviation Advisory Network | PDF: 208 KB |
| 5 | Engineers Australia | PDF: 540 KB |
| 6 | John Cameron Aviation | PDF: 2686 KB |
| 7 | Inner West Council | PDF: 316 KB |
| 8 | NT Airports | PDF: 181 KB |
| 9 | Australian & International Pilots Association | PDF: 270 KB |
| 10 | Professionals Australia | PDF: 460 KB |
| 11 | Australian Business Aviation Association | PDF: 68 KB |
| 12 | Name withheld | PDF: 19 KB |
| 13 | Aviation Australia | PDF: 203 KB |
| 14 | Air Affairs Australia | PDF: 192 KB |
| 15 | AgBioGen | PDF: 204 KB |
| 16 | Bioenergy Australia | PDF: 397 KB |
| 17 | Name withheld | PDF: 54 KB |
| 18 | Name withheld | PDF: 30 KB |
| 19 | Pegasus Aviation Advisers | PDF: 383 KB |
| 20 | Aerial Application Association of Australia | PDF: 235 KB |
| 21 | Mark Fiess | PDF: 218 KB |
| 22 | Mt Isa City Council | PDF: 3446 KB |
| 23 | Bega Valley Shire Council | PDF: 3575 KB |
| 24 | NT Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade | PDF: 2674 KB |
| 25 | Australian Federation of Air Pilots | PDF: 471 KB |
| 26 | Australian Aviation Ground Handlers Industry Alliance | PDF: 848 KB |
| 27 | Board of Airline Representatives Australia | PDF: 772 KB |
| 28 | Australian Helicopter Industry Association | PDF: 135 KB |
| 29 | Robert Cassidy | PDF: 589 KB |
| 30 | Civil Air Traffic Control Australia | PDF: 160 KB |
| 31 | Qantas | PDF: 377 KB |
| 32 | Perth Airport | PDF: 20870 KB |
| 33 | South Australian Freight Council | PDF: 483 KB |
| 34 | Airlines for Australia & New Zealand (A4ANZ) | PDF: 3081 KB |
| 35 | Newcastle Airport | PDF: 5386 KB |
| 36 | Canberra Airport | PDF: 552 KB |
| 37 | Adelaide and Parafield Airports | PDF: 354 KB |
| 38 | Australia & Pacific Airports Corporation | PDF: 581 KB |
| 39 | International Air Transport Association | PDF: 112 KB |
| 40 | Western Sydney Airport | PDF: 381 KB |
| 41 | Albury Airport | PDF: 195 KB |
| 42 | Regional Development Australia (Townsville and North-West QLD) | PDF: 314 KB |
| 43 | Moorabbin Airport | PDF: 108 KB |
| 44 | Australian Airports Association | PDF: 1301 KB |
| 45 | Australian Logistics Council | PDF: 431 KB |
| 46 | Sydney Metro Airports | PDF: 168 KB |
| 47 | Regional Capitals Australia | PDF: 993 KB |
| 48 | NSW Government | PDF: 610 KB |
| 49 | Royal Flying Doctor Service | PDF: 675 KB |
| 50 | Sydney Airport | PDF: 345 KB |
| 51 | Brisbane Airport Corporation | PDF: 556 KB |
| 52 | Queensland Airports | PDF: 287 KB |
| 53 | Regional Aviation Association of Australia | PDF: 3136 KB |
| 54 | Port Hedland Council | PDF: 1153 KB |
| 55 | WA Government | PDF: 395 KB PDF: 320 KB |
| 56 | Tourism and Transport Forum | PDF: 170 KB |
| 57 | Local Government NSW | PDF: 214 KB |
| 58 | Business Council of Australia | PDF: 917 KB |
Future of Aviation Reference Panel
The Future of Aviation Reference Panel has been established to consult the aviation industry on the recently released Issues Paper on the Future of Australia's Aviation Sector and provide expert advice to Government on the challenges facing the industry and opportunities for reform.
The Panel will be chaired by Professor Patrick Murray, Chair of the Aviation Safety Advisory Panel at the Civil Aviation Safety Authority and Honorary Professor of Aviation and Logistics at the University of Southern Queensland. Professor Murray will be joined by expert panel members Ms Adrianne Fleming OAM, Mr Andrew Drysdale and Ms Shannon O'Hara.
The Panel will engage industry and advise the Government on how to support the aviation sector as it recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic and ensure we continue to have a safe, secure and efficient industry for Australia's future.
Queries regarding the Panel's work should be directed to the Secretariat via an email to FAR.Panel@infrastructure.gov.au.
- Panel members' biographical information DOCX: 15 KB PDF: 512 KB
Virtual consultations
Public consultations with industry and the community were held in December 2020 to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the sector, both in the context of the current COVID-19 crisis and in the longer term.
The Government's Five-Year Plan for Aviation
The Australian aviation sector was already facing challenges prior to COVID-19, particularly in regional Australia. Some airlines, airports and allied aviation businesses have thin margins and high fixed operating costs. Other parts of the sector faced difficulties in attracting skilled workers. Technology in the sector is evolving quickly, with the potential to generate new commercial, economic and social opportunities, if supported by appropriate legal, regulatory and policy frameworks.
The Australian Government has clear long term objectives for aviation:
- A competitive and efficient aviation sector
- A safe, secure and environmentally sustainable aviation sector
- Ensuring minimum access to essential aviation services
Delivering against these objectives during this period of upheaval and uncertainty will require leadership and planning. Informed by the Submissions on the Issues Paper and ongoing consultation with industry, the Australian Government will release its Five-Year Plan for Aviation in 2021. The Plan will set out a program of longer-term reforms to help deliver against these objectives and assist the sector return to strength and sustainability.
The Regional Aviation Policy Issues Paper
The March 2020 Regional Aviation Policy Issues Paper PDF: 740 KB process was deferred from early 2020 due to the COVID-19 crisis.
Regional aviation policy issues canvassed through this previous process and the issues paper will also be considered as part of the current Future of Aviation Issues Paper and consultation processes. While COVID-19 has had far reaching implications across the regional aviation industry, many of the issues explored in the March 2020 Issues Paper remain relevant and stakeholders were able to draw on the March 2020 document when providing submissions to the current process.
Sydney Airport Demand Management Review
The Australian Government is also undertaking a comprehensive review of Sydney Airport demand management, following the Productivity Commission's 2019 Inquiry into the Economic Regulation of Airports.
The Department acknowledges that stakeholders may be interested in multiple consultation activities currently underway that relate to aviation. The scope, timeframes and processes for the Sydney Airport Demand Management Review, including opportunities for stakeholder engagement, are separate to those for the Future of Australia's Aviation Sector Issues Paper.
For further information, including how to engage, see the Sydney Airport Demand Management Review.
Links to media releases and publications
- Advice about support for aviation services during the COVID-19 crisis