Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association
Media Release
Thursday 14 January 2010
Aircraft engineers outraged over Whistleblower sacking
The union representing Australian aircraft engineers is outraged today over the sacking of
an employee who blew the whistle on the Jetstar Pacific’s safety standards.
The union’s outrage follows the release of a damming report by the Civil Aviation Authority of
Vietnam that found Australian aircraft engineer, Bernard McCune, was sacked for raising
concerns over safety with the airline’s senior managers.
The Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association (ALAEA), which represents more
than 3000 aircraft maintenance engineers across the country, said that no engineer should
sacked for protecting the safety of the travelling public.
The ALAEA said taking a person’s job away for blowing the whistle over concerns for safety
ought to be treated as criminal negligence. The union said that management should be held
to account for these actions.
ALAEA Federal Secretary Steve Purvinas said the revelations also raised serious questions
about the Australia’s own Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) and the aviation watchdog’s
concern for safety standards.
“The Vietnamese aviation watchdog has put Australia’s own Civil Aviation Safety Authority to
shame by bringing this incident to public attention,” Mr Purvinas said.
Mr Purvinas said the union has reported dozens of safety concerns with CASA, including
incidents of stapled wires, incorrectly mounted engines, locked emergency oxygen bottles
and aircraft returning from Asia with more than 95 defects.
“The ALAEA have reported dozens of safety concerns with the CASA but far too often the
aviation watchdog has failed to investigate,” Mr Purvinas said.
Mr Purvinas also said that while he welcomed the vigilance of the Vietnamese aviation
authority in this case, the union was still very concerned about the aircraft maintenance
carried out overseas.
The ALAEA and other Australian unions have offered assistance to the Vietnamese
authorities to help cover the depth of impropriety.
For more information contact:
Steve Purvinas, 0400 071 505
Paul Cousins, 0419 637 862
Tim Fitzsimmons (EMC) 0423 375 522
NEWS 
