Assignment 1 – Application for an AOC on behalf of STA Travel

This assignment aims to provide assistance to STA Travel in their attempts to create
an airline. In so doing, an Air Operator’s Certificate must be awarded and various
criteria must be met.

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 Due to the successful operation of STA travel in recent years, they have seen
fit to begin operating an airline out of Melbourne, Australia. The first step in this
process is to be awarded an Air Operator’s Certificate from the Civil Aviation Safety
Authority (CASA). There are many measures which must be taken to ensure a
successful application will be submitted, such as providing the financial details of the
company, outlining the aircraft type to be used and defining the type of operations
which will be undertaken. The final result will be in the form of an Air Operator’s
Certificate application form 1049. In addition to this, STA travel must also seek to
employ an appropriate Chief Executive Officer to run the airline and an experienced
Chief Pilot to be in charge of the airline’s operations.

The initial step in the process of attaining an AOC (Air Operator’s Certificate)
is to thoroughly follow the criteria established in the AOC manual. This manual
details a step-by-step process with which to adequately complete the AOC
application form 1049 as well as maintaining an AOC once it has been acquired. For
all AOC applications whereby an airline is attempting to be operated, an additional
form, CASA 293/00, must be completed. This further breaks down the specific
information which must be given to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority. It is divided
into three key schedules. The first schedule must list the applicant’s full name,
contact details (postal address and telephone number), trading name and Australian
Business Number if applicable. Similarly, the specific type of commercial operations
which are proposed must be detailed, this can range from charter to regular public
transport to the various forms of aerial work, such as aerial spotting, surveying,
photography, advertising, flight training, agricultural operations or ambulance
functions. The types of aircraft proposed to be utilised must also be included. For
regular public transport operations the serial number of each aircraft to be used, the
routes and frequency of those routes must be set out. In addition to this, the airline is
required to state its key personnel. Most notably being the Chief Executive Officer
and the Chief Pilot. If any of these key personnel have any prior convictions which
resulted in suspension, fines or incarceration, this must also be made clear. 1

Schedule two of CASA 293/00 goes into further detail regarding the key
personnel of the proposed airline. It outlines a requirement for information about the
applicant’s proposed organisation, the chain of command, the number and
qualifications of personnel which will be employed either for operation or
maintenance of the aircraft and details of the prior experience within air operations
for all key personnel. Furthermore, the organisation’s proposed facilities,
management control procedures regarding the safety of air operations and the
details of all licences held by the organisation’s flight crew. If maintenance is being
performed by the airline, rather than being outsourced, then the appropriate
accreditations of these personnel and facilities must also be supplied. Schedule
three requires a statement that establishes how the applicant will attempt to ensure
compliance with the provisions of the Civil Aviation Regulations 1988 with respect to
maintaining an AOC.2 Additionally, schedule three requires proof of the applicant’s

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identity, a certificate of Registration of Business Name, confirmation that the
proposed aircraft are available, a statement of the airline’s financial position and
documents that validate the details given regarding all key personnel. Finally, further
documents are also required to ensure a successful application. These include all
applicable aircraft flight manuals for the various aircraft to be operated, the
organisation’s financial viability statement, the carrier’s liability insurance, an
operation’s manual and a flight checking system that includes manuals in the areas
of training and checking, dangerous goods and maintenance controls. Although this
initial step in the process of achieving an Air Operator’s Certificate appears
extremely complex, if it is carried out correctly and diligently, then STA travel will be
held in good stead to be awarded an AOC.

As it has been shown above, applying for an Air Operator’s Certificate is a

difficult, complicated and, at times, daunting task. It requires a very comprehensive
knowledge of the industry to be successful. When approaching this challenge there
are various groups and bodies which offer assistance to a potential AOC holder. First
and foremost, Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority provides a thorough and
detailed guide through the AOC manual. In addition to this, CASA recommends
using the accessible and user-friendly manual on their website. This guides
applicants through the entire process and has also been approved by the General
Aviation Group and Group General Managers Air Transport Operations Group. This
guide is broken down into eight sections which further break down the application
procedure. It does so with the inclusion of various procedures and checklists. These
procedures and checklists are even used by CASA when determining the merit of an
AOC application. In order to create the most effective application, this guide should
be utilised in conjunction with constant reference to all law documents that may be
applicable. These include the Civil Aviation Act 1988, Civil Aviation Orders and Civil
Aviation Regulations. Other documents which may also provide assistance in during
application are the Aeronautical Information Package (AIP), Manual of Controlled
Documents, Compliance and Enforcement Manual, Aviation Safety Surveillance
Program Manual and, possibly, Annex 6 of the International Civil Aviation
Organisation (ICAO). Many applicants seeking to bypass the lengthy difficulties of
the AOC application process can seek out numerous consultancy companies to
assist with the submission. ACS Aviation Solutions are a highly experienced and well
renowned consultancy company who are able to aid operators in all facets of an
AOC application. This ranges from assisting during the preliminary application
process through to the production of manuals and documentation until the final
issuance of the AOC is complete. Similarly IAC Global Aviation Services are able to
support potential airlines, not only during the application process, but during renewal
of an AOC and even remaining as consultants if further applications need to be
made. The, now defunct, Australian Airlines gained successful assistance from IAC
Global in their application to expand their international market with a fleet of Boeing
767s. Likewise IAC Global were selected to audit, advise and assist in the renewal of
Virgin Blue’s High Capacity Air Operator’s Certificate. 3

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 Upon completing all the required documentation and determining the
appropriate aircraft and routes, STA Travel must now select its key personnel. Most
notably being the Chief Executive Officer and a Chief Pilot. The ideal Chief Executive
Officer that STA Travel could instate would be Alan Joyce, current CEO of Qantas
Airways. Joyce has a very extensive background in aviation. He spent eight years
working with Aer Lingus, Ireland’s national carrier. Whilst with Aer Lingus, Joyce,
held an extremely wide variety of positions including sales, marketing, information
technology, network planning, operations research, revenue management and fleet
planning. All of this experience placed him in good stead to join Ansett Australia.
After several years Joyce later moved onto Qantas, within both of these airlines he
was again employed performing a wide spectrum of tasks such as network planning,
schedules planning and network strategy functions. After just three years with
Qantas, Joyce was appointed the Chief Executive Officer of Jetstar Airways. As an
airline just starting out Joyce expanded Jetstar to the point where they are now a
major international airline with flights within domestic Australia and throughout the
Asia-pacific region. After five years serving as the CEO of Jetstar, Joyce was
promoted to the CEO of Qantas, replacing Geoff Dixon. Preceding the global
financial crisis, Qantas was extremely close to becoming a privatised company. It
has since been determined that were Qantas to have backed this plan, they would
not have survived. However with Alan Joyce at the helm, Qantas were one of the
very few airlines that continued to grow despite the financial crisis. In addition to this,
Joyce has professionally and informatively dealt with a variety of incidents including
the infamous Airbus A380 engine failure sustained by QF32. There are many key
qualities which a Chief Executive Officer must possess in order to be successful.
First and foremost, a vast understanding and experience within the aviation industry
is vital. Joyce has spent many years working with a variety of airlines, this
experience will be invaluable in assisting STA Travel in creating their airline.
Furthermore, his history at turning Jetstar from the fledgling subsidiary of Qantas that
it once was, into a major airline of the Asia-pacific further enhances his skill set.
Joyce has also displayed excellent leadership abilities, another necessity, and been
able to handle media attention both professionally and reassuringly. Finally, in pulling
Qantas through the global financial crisis whilst maintaining a profitable airline, Joyce
has demonstrated his abilities as a remarkable businessman.

Another key member of any proposed airline is the Chief Pilot. This position
must be filled by someone who has a profound knowledge of the industry as well as
the requirements of their job position. A Chief Pilot must be able to display a good
example for the rest of the members of the flight crew. As the most senior pilot they
need to be extremely well trained and experienced as well as being professional and
following all standard operating procedures developed by an airline. To ensure the
airline operates efficiently, a good Chief Pilot must demonstrate good strength in
character. They must be strong, mature and able to lead by example. This also
includes providing guidance to all members of the flight crew as required. They need
to also be able to delegate and remain calm under any circumstance. It is essential

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that a Chief Pilot be able to determine the perfect balance between safety and
commercial aspects of the airlines operations. Finding this perfect balance will
ensure both a safe and profitable airline. Finally, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority
demands a certain level of experience that a Chief Pilot must satisfy. As STA Travel
will be attempting to start an airline with multi-engine aircraft requiring a crew of two
or more pilots, then the Chief Pilot must have 2000 hours, of which 400 must be
performed as pilot in command. These hours must also be in multi-engine aircraft
requiring a crew of two or more. The Chief Pilot must also have a minimum of two
years experience in commercial operations. The ideal Chief Pilot for STA Travel
would be Captain Richard de Crespigny. He is a check captain with Qantas with over
35 years experience in aviation. He was also a member of the first crew to fly the
Airbus A380 for Qantas. Most notably, he was the captain of Qantas Flight QF32
which suffered an uncontained engine failure and was forced to land at Changi
airport in Singapore. Under extreme pressure and with multiple many various
warnings and failures upon the aircraft, Captain de Crespigny was able to
successfully and safely land the aircraft without a single injury. After the incident, de
Crespigny calmed all persons on board and even gave out his personal mobile
telephone number for any passengers who required further assistance. 4

As has been shown, being awarded an Air Operator’s Certificate is a lengthy

and very complex process requiring absolute perfection. It must also be backed up
by substantial documents and evidence of the proposed airlines financial viability
and key personnel. For these key personnel there are strict qualities and experience
that they must display in order to be offered such positions. Despite the difficulties in
applying for an Air Operator’s Certificate, there are also many consulting agencies
which offer thorough assistance and invaluable experience throughout the entire
process.

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References:

1: http://www.casa.gov.au/scripts/nc.dll?WCMS:STANDARD::pc=PC_90333

2: http://www.casa.gov.au/scripts/nc.dll?WCMS:STANDARD::pc=PC_91059

3: http://www.iacglobal.com/aviation-technical-services.php

4: http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/passengers-industry-praises-captain-
richard-de-crespigny/story-e6frea6u-1225948549496

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