Regional airlines can be a lifeline in remote parts of Australia. Competitiveness is an important issue in the regional aviation industry.

The financial crisis, which struck the Asian region in 1997, had many profound and far-reaching consequences for both the countries involved and the world as a whole.

The Bureau of Transport and Regional Economics is very pleased to inaugurate this new information product.

The first of two articles in this issue is the January airport charges update, which expands on the airport charges article in the inaugural edition of Avline.

This issue opens with a feature article on aviation in regional Australia. The Airport Charges section has now been incorporated into the State of Play in Australian Aviation section and the indicators in this section reordered.

As foreshadowed in Avline 3, this issue of Avline opens with a feature article on the development of Australian domestic airline on time performance in formation and the reporting of on time performance statistics from November 2003 to February 20

The Australian domestic aviation industry has undergone significant change since the events that led to the collapse of Ansett in September 2001.

This report profiles significant sectors of the general aviation industry, identifying the major changes in the operating environment affecting general aviation, identifying and explaining where possible the trends in sector activity.

This issue's feature article examines domestic on time performance, one year after the commencement of reporting of on time data. The article explores total industry trends and some of the factors influencing the results.

Australian Transport Statistics provides an easy introduction to a diverse range of transport statistics.