RAAF Assists Stranded School Children

The Royal Australian Air Force has started airlifting school students from the remote Torres Strait Islands to the Australian mainland following an urgent plea for transport.

About 170 students have been stranded around the scattered island group because regular scheduled Torres Strait air services have been curtailed.

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has suspended one operator in the Torres Strait after it was put on notice for continuing to operate regular public transport services without the appropriate Air Operators Certificate.

The RAAF assistance, provided at short notice, followed a request from the Federal Member for Leichhardt, Mr Warren Entsch, to the Minister for Defence, Mr John Moore. The Minister agreed to provide two RAAF Caribou aircraft from Townsville to ferry the students from their home islands to Horn Island at the tip of Cape York Peninsula.

Two Caribous from the Townsville based No 35 Squadron flew out earlier today (about 9am Queensland time) to Horn Island from where they will operate over the next 24 hours. Most of the school children will connect with regular commercial services from Horn Island however, instead of returning empty, the Caribous will also transport about 30 students direct to Townsville.

The Minister said the RAAF was happy to assist, and the Caribou aircraft, renowned for their short take-off and landing capabilities, were ideally suited to the task. "It's an opportunity to help the Torres Strait community and gain valuable training at the same time," he said.

Mr Entsch whose electorate of Leichhardt covers the Torres Strait Islands also acknowledged the rapid response from the RAAF.

"The prompt response from the Minister and the Air Force to assist these students to get back to school is a tangible sign of the close and effective relationship between the Australian Defence Force and the Leichhardt community," Mr Entsch said.

"With the effective shutdown of Torres Strait scheduled air services, and the subsequent need to charter aircraft, there is no affordable air transport available to the islanders," he said. "The only option in many cases is an open sea journey in aluminium dinghies which is extremely dangerous with severe afternoon thunderstorms at this time of the year."

RAAF, Squadron Leader Mark Quilligan
      Ph 02-6265 2661 or 0419 220 890
Warren Entsch's Office, Peter Hill
      Ph 0409 263273

Issued by the Defence Public Affairs Organisation, Department of Defence, Canberra, ACT, 2600

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