International Air Services Commission Client Service Charter
From the Chairperson
This charter sets out the standards of service that you can expect from the International Air Services Commission and its staff. These standards apply to how we make decisions and to how we deal with you. We want to give you the best service possible and we welcome your ideas for helping us do so.
Ms Genevieve Butler
Chairperson
About the Commission
The Commission is an independent statutory authority comprised of three part- time Commissioners – a Chairperson and two members – supported by a small secretariat. It is established under the International Air Services Commission Act 1992 (the Act). The aim of the Act is to enhance the welfare of Australians by promoting economic efficiency through competition in the provision of international air services.
Our role is to allocate capacity available under Australia's bilateral air service agreements to Australian airlines so they can operate these international air services. We assess applications for capacity from airlines, using the criteria provided in the Act, its implementing regulations and the policy statement given to us by the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government. If an application meets the criteria, we make a determination granting capacity to the airline concerned. We also decide on airlines' applications to vary determinations, usually to allow for code sharing, and to renew determinations.
For more straightforward cases, we have authorised our delegate, usually the Commission's director, to make determinations and decisions on our behalf. The Commissioners decide on the more complex applications. In either case, you can expect the same high level of service from us and our staff.
Making an application
If you wish to apply for capacity, or make a submission when we have invited these in certain cases, procedures for doing so can be found on our web site at www.iasc.gov.au. We suggest that prospective new airlines first contact the Commission's director.
Our clients
In the broadest sense, the Australian community is our primary client because competitive air services promote the welfare of Australians. At a practical level though, airlines are the clients most directly affected by our decisions. However, our work is also relevant to many other parties. 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 Infrastructure and Transport;
- Australian and State government departments and agencies; and
- the aviation industry media and analysts.
Our services 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
- act with as little formality as possible;
- treat you courteously and professionally;
- provide you with clear and accurate advice;
- include contact names and phone numbers in our correspondence;
- answer phone calls promptly by name or return any missed calls within one working day if you leave a message;
- reply to your emails within two working days;
- reply to your letters within ten working days; and
- respond constructively to your suggestions for improving our service.
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 we will post, email or fax them to you upon request;
- seek only information that we consider is reasonably necessary for us to best carry out our functions;
- protect information you provide to us in confidence (although we prefer to keep confidential information to a minimum to ensure transparent decision making);
- make our decisions consistent with the requirements of the Act and the Minister's policy statement;
- make decisions about uncontested applications, including renewals within four weeks after the end of the notification period and contested or opposed applications within twelve weeks, or inform the airline/s involved if there are reasons why a decision may take longer than this. In the case of contested renewals, the Commission will make decisions at least six months prior to the expiry date, circumstances permitting. These timeframes are applicable where the Commission has received all the necessary information from the airline/s as well as other stakeholders, in order to make a decision; and
- notify applicants by email within one working day of a decision being made, and other interested parties by email and on our website as soon as practicable thereafter.
What we ask of you
We ask you to:
- provide comprehensive and accurate information within the required timeframe and by the due date;
- be open and straightforward in your dealings with us;
- cooperate fully in response to requests for information that we think is relevant to a matter before us; and
- be courteous and respectful towards our staff and work with us to resolve issues and problems.
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 who ask for it by this means. We advise you of applications received, and Commission decisions about those applications. We can email copies of these documents to you, or provide links to the documents on our website. Please contact us if you wish to be added to either notification list.
Our website at www.iasc.gov.au provides up-to-date information about the Commission's business. It includes applications received, documents relating to current cases and all Commission determinations and decisions. Other important documents are on the site, including the Act and the Minister's policy statement, as well as the Commission's procedures.
Feedback and improving our service
We will monitor our performance against our service commitments. We encourage you to comment on our performance, including suggesting ways in which we can improve our service. Comments should be provided to the Commission's director by mail, email or telephone.
At the end of each year we will assess how we have performed against our service standards. We will invite your comments on our service performance through a brief confidential questionnaire. The aggregated results of the assessments will be summarised in our annual report.
Making a complaint
We regard complaints as part of the feedback process which helps us improve our performance.
If you are dissatisfied with any aspect of our service, it is important that you tell us so we can address your concerns. If you have a complaint you should first try to resolve the issue with the secretariat staff member you dealt with. If you are still not satisfied you should contact the director.
Review
We will review this charter through an ongoing consultative process with our stakeholders to ensure that it is meeting your requirements.
Contact details
| Telephone: | (02) 6267 1100 |
| Email: | iasc@infrastructure.gov.au |
| Internet: | www.iasc.gov.au |
| Postal address: | GPO Box 630, Canberra ACT 2601 |
| Premises: | Level 4 111 Alinga Street Canberra, ACT |