The Civil Aviation Safety Authority has suspended an important stakeholder attitude survey as a result of interference by an aviation group. This is based on advice from our independent research organisation, Faster Horses.
CASA issued the online survey last week to 6,600 aviation industry participants to measure stakeholder sentiment in key metrics such as regulatory service delivery, communication, decision making and regulatory compliance.
The survey methodology, developed by independent research organisation Faster Horses, invited a random sample of participants from across all aviation industry sectors with a one-time-use survey link.
CASA's Director of Aviation Safety, Shane Carmody, said the work done by CASA and the independent research organisation to set up the survey had been compromised by deliberate interference.
"One aviation association has been promoting a manipulated link to the online survey effectively destroying the sampling methodology behind the research," Mr Carmody said.
In a social media post to its membership, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association of Australia says "AOPA Australia received a survey link that takes participants directly to the Faster Horses Consulting website, bypassing the CASA links provided to recipients".
While encouraging use of the doctored link in an online broadcast, AOPA CEO Ben Morgan said he wanted to "make clear that the link that's been provided has neither come from CASA or the consulting firm".
CASA has suspended the survey pending advice from the independent research organisation.
"Reluctantly we have been forced to put the survey on hold because we can no longer be confident the survey will accurately and fairly represent the views of all sectors of the aviation community," Mr Carmody said.
"I apologise to anyone who has already legitimately completed the survey for the disruption to the process and can assure them their views will still be heard."
Details about the survey methodology are published on the CASA website.
