The Regional Aviation Association of Australia (RAAA) this week elected four new honorary members, recognising the contribution of each one to regional aviation.
Elected for honoray membership at the RAAA annual general meeting (AGM) were: former CASA chair Tony Matthews, Air North founder Roger Leach, Hardy Aviation founder John Hardy and Stan Quinlivan, owner and CEO of Perth-based Skippers Aviation.
The four new members bring the number of RAAA honorary members to eight, with the above joining Max Hazelton, Steve Padgett, John MacKnight and John Rowarth on the list.
RAAA chair Mal Sharp said it was time to look at those who had provided extensive service to the regional aviation community over a long time.
“I know each new Honorary Member very well and I am honoured that we are no able to tip our hats to them and acknowledge their service to our industry," he said
“Without people like them it is hard to see what our regional aviation industry would look like today. They have trail blazed through the toughest conditions for aviation and business and continue to work each day on improving services for regional communities.
“It is also important that our members get to see and hear about these people and understand the experience that the RAAA has in our industry, we can all learn from such legends of our industry."
During the AGM, Sharp was re-elected as chair of the RAAA, with John Wardrop from Chart Air and Adrianne Fleming of Tristar Aviation elected as vice chairs.
“We are incredibly well represented on the Board from large regional airlines through to large charter companies and flying schools," said RAAA CEO Steve Campbell.
"This is also mixed with maintenance providers/trainers and fuel companies.There are not many areas of the regional aviation industry that our Board does not cover and I look forward to working with them in 2023 on very important aviation policy such as our shortage of engineers and pilots."
Campbell also said that the RAAA has strengthened its advocacy with government and raised its profile through forward- looking policy focused on net-zero carbon emissions and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) vehicles and their impacts for regional aviation.
“I look forward to continuing this work next year and working closely with government on our critical shortage of engineers and pilots, which is having a massive impact on regional aviation.
“We are still working through numerous changes to regulations by CASA with more still to come, industry have had an incredible amount of work to do in the last few years and it’s important that the regulator understands this workload and how it is affecting smaller aviation companies."
The RAAA AGM was an online event held on 17 November.