President’s Opinion

As a 26-year veteran of the aviation industry, and a licenced engineer for 18 of those years, I by no means call myself an expert; especially considering that X is the unknown factor and a spurt is a drip under pressure. But I like to think I know enough about our line of work to comment on the current state of aircraft maintenance in Australia.

Outsourcing and job security are issues the ALAEA is all too familiar with as we negotiate with the major airlines to ensure we still have a robust industry in Australia for many years to come. Yet there are some media “experts” out there commenting on such topics that they have absolutely no qualification to comment on.

Most recently these “experts” have been spruiking, to all who will listen, misinformation about aircraft maintenance and exactly what it entails. I’d dearly like to see their qualifications, but I’m sure they’d amount to little more than a licence to spin.

The reality is that Australian LAMEs are some of the most experienced and dedicated professional engineers in the world. We are proud of what we do and want nothing more than the airlines we work tirelessly for to succeed. But when we see the foundations of airlines like Qantas torn to pieces for the sake of a few bucks, you really have to wonder what they’re thinking.

ALAEA members know that airline maintenance in Australia is carried out in the most professional way to the highest standards. Yet for the number crunchers running the airlines, it’s never good enough.  And when so-called independent aviation experts spread misinformation about the work LAMEs do and the standards in our industry, it can be extremely frustrating. But rest assured. We won’t let it get us down and will continue to fight for safer airlines and job security – because this is an industry we live, breathe and believe in.

You need look no further than our placing at the recent AMT MSC to realise how dedicated and professional Australian LAMEs are. That reminds me, expressions of interest has been faxed and emailed to all corners of our great land calling for competitors in next year’s competition. So please inundate me with your desire to take TEAM ALAEA to the next level and win in Las Vegas 2012!

Keep Safe,

Paul Cousins,
Federal President

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