1 March 2013

The AEANZ Executive meet on Tuesday with much of the work revolving around professional development.  Two programmes were announced :

• Aging Aircraft/Corrosion - 29/30 April- Hamilton, 17/18 June-Dunedin
• Structures and Fatigue- 1/2 May - Hamilton,  19/20 June - dunedin          

Presented by Sam Kantinaths. Maximum 20 participants click here for more detail. Proposals are also being worked through to engage an EO and we hope to make announcements shortly.     

Debrief – pilot training and funding.
This morning the Industry met with Officials from the TEC/MOE and MOT to discuss the forward demand, funding and some of the regulatory impediments to our domestic and international competitiveness as a sector.
 
For the industry this is an economic debate about ensuring we have enough pilots to sustain and grow our sector.  For Officials from the TEC and MoE it’s about ensuring there are enough pilots trained to meet the demands of the New Zealand industry. 
 
So from industry we look at this as a top down demand debate i.e. to support growth and sustain the industry we need pilots. Officials look at this as a building block.  In other words they are very interested in how the policy decision of 2012 (Capping numbers and fees) translates through into reality.
 
We understand some of the effects of their decisions in 2012 but will need to provide high quality and detailed information to present a cogent case for change. However from the top down view of the world we know that Air NZ announced yesterday 2 more B777 would be joining their fleet; foreign airlines and companies are actively recruiting both fixed and rotary pilots from the New Zealand market and the experience levels of our instructors are dropping as they find jobs in air transport operations. 
 
If we could convert all of the 450 EFTS we are awarded every year into 450 productive pilots in high wage gainful employment, the problem would be solved. However, the reality is that it takes time to produce productive pilots and many of you have both regulatory and insurance market constraints to deal with as well as the quirks of education training and funding policies.
 
The meeting was a positive first step.  Industry can answer the TEC/MOE’s questions about the present situation – they did say they where pretty gun shy about the information we produce so my plea is: please flight schools, be accurate.  In my view, we need to engage some smart economists to work with us on the economic argument.  Just as the training of enough skilled labour to assist in the Christchurch rebuild was an economic argument, so is the number of pilots supplied into aviation.  This impacts on the growth potential of our tourism and primary industries   Last year, we licensed precisely 151 CPL (A) and 51 CPL (H). The long run demand for CPL (A) is around 200 and for Helicopters 70.              

A copy of the presentation we left with officials is here. We'll be responding to the TEC/MOE's specifics but this is one debate that needs to be elevated to the economic platform and we'll be talking to key players about how we do that next week. 

Congratulations to Airways click here and Air NZ click here. Success by the larger participants in our industry is always pleasing because it tells you a lot about the helath of the sector and of course the trickle down benefits for New zealand economy. If we're to reach our goal of building a $16Bn sector by 2016 then each one of us needs to contribute.  We assist in lobbying your case, advocacy, representation and building the connectedness of the industry.  

Aviation is in our DNA Red boots

Conference is already on the count down.  The programmes for NZAAA, NZHA, and our joint sessions are designed. Flight Training, AEANZ and the SAC are nearing completion.  
Trades - remember the big discounts only go for another month so get in and make your bookings while the discounts last read more
 
Sponsorship read more
 
Delegates registration read more – conference rates have been held static for those who attended Rotorua. To attend a comparable conference of quality costs between $1500 and $2000. You pay no more than $630 plus meals.

Expressions of Interest – Executive Leadership programme, RNZAF Base Woodbourne 17-19 May  click here  
 

We're at cut-off for the aviation mission to Indonesia in May info here. If you haven't registered interest, you need to submit the form to john.nicholson@aviationnz.co.nz by Monday. The mission is timed to coincide with a visit by the Combined ASEAN NZ Business Council so that we achieve greater impact through a NZ Inc approach. We'll be working with NZTE and the NZ Embassy on this visit.

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