International Air Services Commission Service Charter

This charter sets out what we do and the standards of service that you can expect from us.

About the Commission

The Commission is an independent statutory authority, established under the International Air Services Commission Act 1992 (the Act). The Commission is comprised of a Chairperson and two members. Our role is to allocate capacity available under Australia's air services arrangements with other countries to existing and prospective Australian international airlines. We do this by making formal determinations. We assess applications against public benefit criteria set out in a policy statement issued to us by the Minister for Transport and Regional Services.

The people and organisations with an interest in what we do

Existing and prospective airlines are the organisations most directly affected by Commission decisions. However, our decisions are relevant to many other people and organisations. These include:

• the travelling public;
• the tourism and air freight industries, including Australian exporters;
• the wider aviation industry, including airport owners, providers of services to airlines, and employee associations;
• the Minister for Transport and Regional Services;
• Australian and State government departments and agencies; and
• the aviation industry press and analysts.

Assessing applications

If you wish to apply for capacity, procedures for doing so, including the information we require, can be found on our internet site at iasc.gov.au. We suggest that first you contact the Commission's executive director.

The Commission determines the more complex cases, such as where there are competing applications for capacity, a carrier is new to a route, or there are serious competition concerns about a proposal.

The Act gives us the authority to delegate some of our powers and functions to an officer of the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, in certain circumstances. We have delegated the relevant powers and functions to officers in our secretariat, who are also departmental officers. This gives applicants a single point of contact and should ensure that the administration of Commission and departmental decision making is harmonised, without compromising the Commission's independence. The delegates adopt the standards set out in this charter, so you will receive the same level of service in all cases.

Our commitments to you

We aim to provide you with the highest standards of service, both in the way we deal with you and in making our decisions. We make these commitments to you:

In our dealings with you, we will

• treat you courteously and professionally;
• provide clear, accurate advice and answer your questions promptly;
• respond constructively to your suggestions for improving our service;
• include contact names and phone numbers in our correspondence;
• answer phone calls promptly by name or return any missed calls within 24 hours if you leave a message; and
• reply to your emails within 24 hours.

In our decision making processes, we will

• notify you within five working days of receiving an application for capacity;
• follow our published procedures for handling applications - the procedures are on our website or can be sent to you upon request;
• seek only information that we consider is reasonably necessary for us to best carry out our functions;
• be transparent and fair, including keeping confidential information to a minimum, consistent with the legitimate protection of your commercial interests;
• make decisions about uncontested applications within four weeks of receipt and contested applications within 12 weeks, or inform you if there are reasons why a decision may take longer than this;
• finalise the renewal of existing determinations quickly and, in the case of contested renewals, at least six months prior to the expiry date; and
• notify applicants within 24 hours of a decision being made, and other interested parties within three working days.

What we ask of you

We ask you to provide timely, comprehensive and accurate information and to be honest and fair in your dealings with us.

Accessibility

We will keep you informed quickly and comprehensively about our activities. We also endeavour to make contacting us as easy as possible. Contact details conclude this charter.

Our primary method of communication is by email. We provide information about current cases directly to interested parties via this means. There are two levels of information provided. The first is simple notification, which advises when applications have been received, and when Commission decisions are made. These notifications include links to our website. More detailed information is provided if you wish to receive copies of all relevant documents. This second service is provided for a small annual fee. Documents are provided in pdf format. Please contact us if you wish to be added to either notification list.

Our internet site at www.iasc.gov.au provides up-to-date information about the Commission's business. It includes summaries of current cases and Commission determinations and decisions. In addition, important documents can be found on the site, including the Act and the Minister's policy statement, as well as the Commission's procedures for handling applications.

If you do not have access to email or our internet site, notifications and copies of documents can be provided to you by facsimile or post, or if you visit our offices.

Monitoring and review

We will monitor our performance against our service commitments. We encourage you to comment on our performance and to suggest ways to improve our service. If you are dissatisfied with any aspect of our service, it is important that you tell us so we can address your concerns. Comments should be provided to the Commission's executive director by mail, email or telephone.

At the end of each year we will assess how we have performed against the service standards we have set ourselves. We may invite your comments on our service performance, such as through a brief questionnaire. The results of the assessments will be summarised in our annual report. If you wish to receive a copy of the report, let us know and we will post it to you. Alternatively, the report can be downloaded from our internet site.

We will also review annually the service charter itself, to ensure that it is meeting your requirements. This may include arranging an independent review from time to time.

Contact details

International Air Services Commission
Telephone: (02) 6267 1100
Facsimile: (02) 6267 1111

Email: iasc@infrastructure.gov.au
Internet: www.iasc.gov.au

Postal address: GPO Box 630, Canberra ACT 2601
Premises: 1st floor,
15 Mort Street, Canberra

Download a copy of the Commission's Client Service Charter which can be viewed using Acrobat Reader. (2,939 Kb)

Last Updated: 9 July, 2008