Dick Smith claims red tape has crippled Bankstown Airport at a ‘wake’ for his private jet

Entrepreneur Dick Smith claims increased red tape of Australia’s general aviation industry has turned Bankstown Airport into a ghost town.

Australian entrepreneur Dick Smith claimd Bankstown Airport aviation businesses have been crippled by red tape. Photo: Melvyn Knipe.

ENTREPRENEUR Dick Smith claims increased red tape of Australia’s general aviation industry has turned Bankstown Airport into a ghost town.

Mr Smith held a “wake” for his beloved Cessna Citation CJ3 private jet, which he said was costing too much to operate, at his hangar on Thursday.

Flanked by about 20 guests from the industry, Mr Smith said onerous regulation had “destroyed” general aviation in Australia.

“Australia decided to lead the world by five years and that meant we basically destroyed an industry,” he said.

“It’s just makes me feel sick that this could be happening because most people would say ‘who cares about a wealthy person owning a jet’, but lots of people were employed with this aeroplane.

Mick Knowles and his son Jace, 5 arrive at Bankstown Airport from Tamworth onboard a Little Wings plane. Jace has cancer and will be flying in for treatment at the Westmead Children's Hospital. Picture: Jonathan Ng

“I employed pilots, maintenance people, air traffic controllers, as … everything is sold overseas we’ll end up with a crisis in aviation, it’s already happening.”

Mr Smith, an avid aviator, said businesses at Bankstown Airport had closed “one after the other”.

“Already I think about 50 per cent of the general aviation businesses have closed down in Bankstown. If you walk around you’ll find a lot of the hangars are locked up. If you peer into the darkness they are used to store junk.”

Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association executive director Benjamin Morgan accused the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, of ramping up compliance costs.

“General aviation across Australia is under attack. It’s under attack by a government that doesn’t understand the impact that it is having on the commercial viability of the industry,” he said.

Millionaire adventurer and aviator Dick Smith held a wake for Australian General Aviation at his hangar at Bankstown Airport. Photo: Melvyn Knipe

“General aviation actually touches everybody. We go about our lives Monday to Sunday and we don’t give thought to the fact that just about everything across Australia in some manner is connected to aviation.

“Most businesses will have their staff and teams flying around the country, most businesses require air services for freight, it is an essential component of what makes our economy work.”

Infrastructure and Transport Minister Darren Chester said it was the Government’s responsibility is to ensure that aviation is safe.

“The travelling public deserve nothing less and CASA is doing very well in this regard,” he said. “Aviation safety is a shared responsibility. All stakeholders should be working together to maintain and improve our excellent safety record.

“I look forward to working with CASA and the aviation industry to address issues of concern which challenge the viability of this important industry.