Australia may consider relaxing cabotage restrictions

Australia's Senate Standing Committee on Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport member Slade Brockman said the committee is investigating the operation, regulation and funding of regional air services, as a follow on to a similar West Australian Parliament inquiry that "produced a number of interesting findings" (The West, 24-Jan-2018). Mr Brockman noted the Federal level inquiry is "particularly important" as aviation is "overwhelmingly regulated at a Federal level and the Senate inquiry will reflect this". Among issues the committee will consider are cabotage rules, which could be relaxed unless Australian airlines could show existing restrictions are beneficial to the travelling public. The deadline for submissions for the inquiry is 05-Feb-2018 and the report will presented to the Senate on 30-Mar-2018.