A Wanaka adventure aviation operator believes a fatality is likely if some operators in the industry continue to deliberately avoid meeting new safety regulations.
Wayne Allanson, director of Wanaka-based scenic flight company U-Fly, has reported his concerns to the Civil Aviation Authority regarding operators conducting commercial scenic or adventure flights under the guise of a ''trial'' flight, allowing them to operate without necessary safety standards in place.
The CAA last month began a review of about half a dozen operators nationwide it suspected were not complying with new rules under the Civil Aviation Act, following claims from Mr Allanson and others in the industry.
The Act requires all operators offering commercial flights to be certified. Adventure tourism operators were included in that system in November 2011 through ''Part 115 Adventure Aviation Certification''.
Part 115 includes requirements to conduct drug and alcohol testing, have appropriately trained staff, and have consistent maintenance and operational procedures in place - giving passengers assurance their flight will be conducted safely.
CAA acting director John Kay said trial flights were training flights and should only be used when a person was genuinely interested in learning to fly.
''It is not acceptable to use this type of flight to take a paying passenger who is interested in a scenic flight or any other adventure aviation flight,'' Mr Kay said.
U-Fly is fully certified to operate commercial scenic flights, during which the client can try flying the plane.
However, other non-certified operators were simulating the company's product for tourists on trial flights, Mr Allanson said.
''The likelihood is that if they're not brought up to the standards to take the clientele they've got, i.e. tourists, then of course it's opening it up to where there could be a fatality and it would be quite nice of CAA to close this up before there actually is,'' Mr Allanson said.
Those not meeting safety obligations also put businesses like U-Fly at a commercial disadvantage, Mr Allanson said.
''They're putting out these products without the regulatory requirements that we have to comply with. They're able to put out the product a lot cheaper.''
Mr Kay said the CAA was taking the safety concern ''very seriously'' and would actively monitor the situation and potentially use investigative methods to ensure operators met their legal requirements.
''If the CAA finds any people acting in non-compliance with the requirements, we will take swift action.
''Our goal is to keep New Zealand skies as safe as possible and we will not tolerate any behaviour that has the potential to undermine this.''
The maximum penalties for the offence of ''Acting without Necessary Aviation documents'' under the Civil Aviation Act is a $10,000 fine and up to 12 months' imprisonment for an individual, and a maximum fine of $100,000 for an organisation.
