Proposed changes to the rules for rotorcraft air transport operations – Part 119 and 133 of CASR (CD 1804OS)

Overview

CASA has been progressively transitioning the Civil Aviation Regulations 1988 (CAR) to the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998 (CASR).

This public consultation is a combined consultation of Parts 119 and 133 of CASR.

The proposed rule changes for rotorcraft air transport operations will create a specific set of operating rules for the first time.

The new rules aim to:

• minimise the safety differential between charter and regular public transport (RPT), with rules that broadly apply to all air transport operations but are scaled for size and/or complexity
• introduce safety enhancements such as an adaptable rotorcraft code of performance, flight and other crew member training and checking requirements and scalable safety management systems
• introduce a rotorcraft specific mandatory simulator flight crew training requirement for certain rotorcraft
• provide a more active regulatory focus on managing the safety risks associated with passenger transport operations
• introduce medical transport requirements in line with international best practice and industry feedback
• establish higher levels of International Civil Aviation Organization compliance to make operating internationally simpler
• include operational rules for emerging technologies such as the tiltrotor power lift aircraft.

There are two Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998 (CASR) Parts and one Manual of Standards (MOS) relevant to rotorcraft air transport operators:

• Part 119 –  the certification and management for all Australian air transport Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) holders
• Part 133 – the operating rules for rotorcraft conducting air transport operations
• Part 133 MOS – the standards and instructions on how operations must be carried out or what requirements must be met.

Unless otherwise stated in CASR Part 133, operators will also be required to comply with CASR Part 91, the general operating and flight rules, which was consulted in March-April 2018.

Please note: This consultation focuses on Part 133 and the Part 119 implications for rotorcraft air transport operations. CASA will be seeking feedback on the Part 119 impacts for aeroplane air transport operators in separate consultations beginning shortly.

Sign up for a special webinar on the proposed new rules for rotorcraft air transport operations on 2 August 2018. See 'Events' at the bottom of this page.

Why your views matter

We are consulting with the aviation community on the rotorcraft air transport rules to ensure they will work in practice as they are intended.

How this consultation works

You will be asked to comment on Part 119, Part 133 and the Part 133 MOS. We have included a number of documents to help you navigate through the regulations which are attached in the ‘Related’ section at the bottom of this page. In particular, the Summary of Proposed Changes (SPC) outlines how the proposed regulations will work together and specific changes.

These documents are also available on the pages where you will be asked to provide feedback, along with a list of the main changes.

Recent industry feedback

Last year CASA established an Aviation Safety Advisory Panel made up of industry representatives. In June 2018, the panel convened a technical working group (TWG) to evaluate drafts of the Part 119 and 133 rules.

The group made several suggestions and highlighted potential issues. CASA has refined the draft regulations based on this feedback.

In addition, Parts 133 and 119 have been extensively consulted throughout their development. The most recent consultations on Part 133 were in 2012 and 2013 with further consultation on air ambulance operations in 2014.

The most recent comprehensive consultation on Part 119 was conducted during 2012 with additional consultation in 2014/15 on scenic flights and small cargo operations.

Please note: The draft of Part 119 attached to this consultation does not incorporate any changes proposed or resulting from the scenic flight and small cargo consultations. As CASA proposes to commence the flight operations regulations in early 2021, we currently plan to consult further with industry regarding scenic flights and small cargo operations in 2019 to finalise policy in this area.

What happens next

Once this consultation has closed, we will register and review each submission received through this online response form. We will make all submissions publicly available here on the Consultation Hub unless you have requested that your submission remain confidential. We will also publish a summary of consultation which will summarise the feedback received.

The ASAP will also consider how CASA has incorporated feedback and provide us with further advice before the rules are finalised.

Parts 119 and 133 form part of the suite of six interlinked and interdependent certification and flight operating regulations with Parts 91, 135, 121 and 138. Consultation for Parts 135 – smaller aeroplane air transport operations, and 121 – larger aeroplane air transport operations, will open on 31 July. These consultations will also include further consultation on Part 119. Part 138 - aerial work, will consulted later in 2018.

It is proposed that the certification and flight operations regulations will be made by early 2019. Following that, CASA proposes to commence the flight operations regulations in early 2021, with the commencement date aligned with updates of the Aeronautical Information Regulation and Control (AIRAC) and Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP). However, we are aware that some changes will have a greater industry impact than others. Therefore, we will seek industry feedback to help identify which specific changes where you may need additional time to comply.