The Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has grounded a West Australian charter operator Alligator Airways due concerns about aircraft maintenance, failure to report incidents, inadequate pilot records, a deficient safety culture and a failure to appoint key personnel.
Alligator has been flying charter flights from both Kununurra and Broome, and also conducts air tours and scenic flights.
CASA said it issued a series of show cause notices this year and last but believed that allowing the charter company to continue to fly posed a serious and imminent risk to safety.