Latest / Early Edition with Ryan Bridge / Simon Wallace: Aviation Industry Association CEO on the government's new aviation plan

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Simon Wallace: Aviation Industry Association CEO on the government's new aviation plan · Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: So government's making a bunch of changes, a bit of
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: a shakeup to aviation. The Civil Aviation Authority in for
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: an overhaul adjustments including modernizing pilot training, cutting red tape,
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: updating safety rules. Twenty three projects on the table. Simon Wallace,
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: Aviation Industry Association CEO with me this morning. Simon, Good morning,
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: Good morning, Ryan. Good to have you on the show.
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: All of this stuff, we've spoken about some of it before,
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  Speaker 1: but all of it need to happen quickly.
• 0:28
  Speaker 2: Yep. The Minister has given the CIA and the industry
• 0:32
  Speaker 2: a challenge actually to get this rules what's called the
• 0:35
  Speaker 2: Rules Update Program done in two years, and we're certainly
• 0:39
  Speaker 2: up for that as an industry. There are some rules
• 0:42
  Speaker 2: that are very old. They have been updated for twenty years.
• 0:46
  Speaker 2: So we're going to get going with us. I guess
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  Speaker 2: one of our big concerns is that historically the Civil
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  Speaker 2: Aviation Authority hasn't moved at pace. And look, unless it's
• 0:57
  Speaker 2: got the necessary resources, it's going to bechallenge to meet
• 1:01
  Speaker 2: the time.
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  Speaker 1: Frame of getting better ordering, getting better ordering. The Civil
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  Speaker 1: Aviation Authority needs to get better ordering, do you think.
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  Speaker 2: Look, I think they need to need to improve in
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  Speaker 2: this whole whole area. Ryan. You know, as an industry,
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  Speaker 2: we've seen slowness and certifications and approvals and those are
• 1:26
  Speaker 2: at a cost to business. Sure, safety absolutely paramount, it's
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  Speaker 2: front and center of everything we do. But things can
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  Speaker 2: be done more quickly, and that's what this rules update
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  Speaker 2: program is all about. And there's actually some really really
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  Speaker 2: positive things in here that we're going to get to work.
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  Speaker 1: On, like what needs to be done more quickly.
• 1:46
  Speaker 2: Well, you mentioned in your intro about pilot training, and
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  Speaker 2: there is some work that's been identified around modernizing the
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  Speaker 2: pilot training and looking at the licensing process. So that's
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  Speaker 2: an area that we've been really focused on over the
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  Speaker 2: last over the last couple of years, So we're really
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  Speaker 2: keen on getting work going on that one. And then
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  Speaker 2: there's the area of agricultural drones. So you know, in
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  Speaker 2: agricultural drones, we've seen it is probably the fastest growing
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  Speaker 2: area of our of our membership, and with with the
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  Speaker 2: fuel crisis, we've seen farmers showing much greater interest in
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  Speaker 2: this area. But as an industry, we're saying that there
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  Speaker 2: has to be some rules around the competency for training
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  Speaker 2: agricultural drone operators. So there are some really really good
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  Speaker 2: areas in here that can unlock some economic potential as well,
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  Speaker 2: and again safety will always be paramount.
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  Speaker 1: Does this mean it could actually be more difficult for
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  Speaker 1: farmers to use drones on farm because they will have
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  Speaker 1: to qualify somehow.
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  Speaker 2: Well, I think there's two areas there. We've got those
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  Speaker 2: those operators that are already very very competent, but we've
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  Speaker 2: got this new group that I've that I've just mentioned,
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  Speaker 2: and we've we've also got new technology. It's it's changing
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  Speaker 2: and evolving quickly as we've seen from overseas, and we've
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  Speaker 2: got five hundred kg drones that are starting to come
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  Speaker 2: into the country and it's really important that unless there
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  Speaker 2: is competent training for the for the users of those,
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  Speaker 2: you know, we have to be really, really really careful
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  Speaker 2: because there are environmental safety impacts if they're not used properly.
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  Speaker 1: What about a New Zealand's downgrade to their outlock? Could
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  Speaker 1: you see that from Moody's Sports.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, Look, I think in New Zealand is really really
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  Speaker 2: challenged and there's probably actually some things in this rules
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  Speaker 2: program that that can help be New Zealand cutting red
• 3:43
  Speaker 2: tape in terms of the area around aircraft maintenance. That
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  Speaker 2: should reduce cost and time for airlines. So there are
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  Speaker 2: some things in here that would help be in New Zealand,
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  Speaker 2: particularly in the security area, the airports area that and
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  Speaker 2: that may may involve reducttion and costs. So in New
• 4:02
  Speaker 2: Zealand is very much involved in this program as well.
• 4:04
  Speaker 1: How are you feeling about the fact that the government's
• 4:06
  Speaker 1: doing a deal with z over diesel but not jet fuel.
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  Speaker 2: Uh, Look, we use diesel on the farms, I mean diesels.
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  Speaker 2: Are diesels really important for all our farm vehicles in
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  Speaker 2: agricultural aviation. Diesel is important for all our tourist boats
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  Speaker 2: and we bring a lot of tourists into New Zealand
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  Speaker 2: on on aircraft, so you know we're a big user
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  Speaker 2: of diesel as well. So that's great. But sure, sure, Ryan,
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  Speaker 2: I think probably we're concerned about the cost. We've seen
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  Speaker 2: one hundred percent increase in jet fuel and ad gas actually,
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  Speaker 2: so it's the cost that is really hitting operators at
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  Speaker 2: the moment.
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  Speaker 1: Simon Wallace, Aviation Industry Association Chief Executive. For more from
• 4:49
  Speaker 1: earlier edition with Ryan Bridge, Listen live to news Talks
• 4:53
  Speaker 1: it be from five am weekdays, or follow the podcast
• 4:56
  Speaker 1: on iHeartRadio,