Queensland Nationals Senator Susan McDonald has fired a broadside at CASA over what she says are unnecessary restrictions on RPT operations into some airports in the Torres Strait islands.
CASA has determined that some Cessna C208B operations into short strips have been ignoring runway safety factors required for RPT flights, which effectively removed services from some islands because the operators can't comply when the aircraft are flown at certain weights.
The issue was highlighted last week with the disappearance of speech pathologist Wendy Richardson, who was lost when the boat she was in capsized near Mabuiag Island, one of the islands that has lost its RPT service.
Addressing the senate on Tuesday night, Senator McDonald took aim at CASA and demanded an immediate resumption of the suspended services.
"Tonight I rise with a heavy heart, because three weeks ago I raised with CASA the very serious situation of no passenger air services to Darnley and Mabuiag islands as a result of CASA regulation," McDonald told the senators
"Despite there being no incidents reported on the airstrips on those islands, CASA closed the strips to commercial flights and withdrew the ability for these community members to affordably travel by air between islands.
"Instead, residents were forced into dinghies—dinghies!—on notoriously dangerous waters inhabited by crocodiles and sharks."
McDonald also pointed out that private operations were still permitted into the impacted runways using the same aircraft that RPT operators have been prevented from using.
"Just take a moment to comprehend that," she said. "Commercial rules are understandably stricter than private rules, but you can see how industry participants and passengers get frustrated: the same planes and the same airstrips, but different rules."
According to the CASA website, the rules surrounding runway safety factors have not changed.
"Runway safety buffers provides a margin of error to account for issues like unexpected weather conditions, poor runway surfaces, aircraft performance or pilot skill," CASA states.
"Safety buffers are determined by adjusting the actual runway distance by using a ‘factoring’ multiplier. This factoring increases the minimum runway length required based on the type of operation and the aircraft.
"There has been no change to the rules for factoring and runways which increases the runway length required."
A CASA spokesperson told Australian Flying that the regulator was working to resolve the issue with RPT operator Skytrans.
"Torres Strait aerodromes and runways remain open for all aircraft that can land on short runways," the spokesperson said. "Every CASA decision is made with the safety of passengers in mind.
"Over the last six months, we have been working with Skytrans and providing progressive approvals to enable them to continue operating safely.
"We will continue to work with Skytrans to support the return of services where safe."
Sources close to the issue have said that the crux of the problems is that if runway safety buffers are applied, operators of Cessna Caravans can't comply unless they fly at weights that make the aircraft economically unviable.
Other aircraft such as the Britten-Norman Islander are believed to have no issue on those runways, but don't have the capacity of the Caravans.
Senator McDonald on Wednesday called on Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Catherine King to fast-track planned upgrades for Torres Strait airstrips.
“CASA made a questionable decision to close these strips and offered no alternatives for people needing to travel and they are forced to use boats,” she said.
“CASA must provide an exemption to allow air travel to restart to and from these islands before there is another tragedy.
“I am distressed that we are seeing CASA make decisions without sufficient evidence that, instead of offering tangible safety benefits, in fact put people in high-risk situations.
“Minister King must review the closures, order the fast-tracking of airstrip upgrades and ensure the Civil Aviation Safety Authority is addressing issues in a timely, logical and effective manner before another life is lost.”
Runway safety factors allows for things like aborted take-offs, poor weather, slower braking and human error.
Operators can fly into runways that don’t meet the requirements, but only with permission from CASA.