Committee activities (inquiries and reports)

Inquiry into ratio of cabin crew members on aircraft

PDF version of terms of reference (197 kb)

Terms of Reference

The Committee is to inquire into the assignment and ratio of cabin crew to those aircraft that require the carriage of cabin crew under current regulations.

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) is currently considering a regulatory proposal that addresses the assignment of cabin crew members to aircraft that require that carriage of cabin crew. Under the current arrangements, operators of Australian domestic aircraft carrying more than 15 but not more than 216 passengers are required to carry at least one cabin crew member for each 36 passengers or part thereof 1:36).

Since 2006, CASA has permitted a number of Australian operators to operate certain aircraft with a ratio of one cabin crew member up to a maximum of 50 passenger seats.

CASA has proposed to implement the 1:50 cabin crew-passenger seat ratio for aircraft configurations of between 20 and 216 passengers with the gaining of approval conditional upon on an operator having in place a CASA-approved safety management risk plan.

In response to this proposal, a number of issues have been raised, which would benefit from further consideration.

The Standing Committee on Infrastructure and Communications will inquire into and report on:

• the current aviation safety regulatory system for aircraft operators in relation to the application of the cabin crew to passenger ratio including current exemption provisions;

• the role of cabin crew in managing both passenger safety and security;

• the factors that determine the cabin crew to passenger ratio;

• domestic and international practice in respect of cabin crew to passenger ratios; and

• measures to enhance aviation safety that may be considered in future requirements on aircraft operators for a safety risk management plan covering the cabin crew to passenger ratio.

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