Blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and a large seven-pointed star in the lower hoist-side quadrant known as the Commonwealth or Federation Star, representing the federation of the colonies of Australia in 1901. The star depicts one point for each of the six original states and one representing all of Australia’s internal and external territories. On the fly half is a representation of the Southern Cross constellation in white with one small, five-pointed star and four larger, seven-pointed stars.

Flag courtesy of the CIA World Factbook

Map courtesy of the CIA World Factbook

Google Earth

Some of the granite boulders at Devils Marbles Conservation Reserve near Wauchope, in the Northern Territory. The marbles were formed through various geological processes including chemical and mechanical weathering.

Photo courtesy of the CIA World Factbook

Government

According to Britannica, Australia’s constitution, which can be considered crudely as an amalgam of the constitutional forms of the United Kingdom and the United States, was adopted in 1900 and entered into force in 1901. It established a constitutional monarchy, with the British monarch, represented locally by a governor-general, the reigning sovereign of Australia. Likewise, Australia adopted the British parliamentary model, with the governments of the Commonwealth of Australia and of the Australian states chosen by the members of the parliaments. Similar to the United States, Australia is a federation, and the duties of the federal government and the division of powers between the Commonwealth and the states are established in a written constitution. Under the constitution, the federal government has responsibility for defense, foreign policy, immigration, customs and excise, and the post office. Those powers not given to the federal government in the constitution (the “residual powers”) are left to the states, which are responsible for justice, education, health, and internal transport. In keeping with federalism, the constitution can be altered only by majorities in both federal houses of the legislature followed by a referendum that gains the consent of a majority of all the electors and a majority in at least four of the six states. Constitutional disputes are resolved by the High Court of Australia. Although the British monarch is Australia’s formal head of state, the sovereign’s functions are almost entirely formal and decorative and, except when the monarch is in Australia, are exercised by a governor-general who resides in Canberra and by the state governors. Although formally the governor-general and the governors are appointed by the monarch, they are invariably recommended by the Australian governments. By convention, the prime minister (the leader of the party or coalition of parties victorious in the general election) is the country’s head of government.

Australia’s legislature is bicameral. The House of Representatives (the lower house) comprises 150 members, including two each from the Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory. Members are elected for three-year terms and are responsible for choosing the government. The Senate consists of 76 members; each state has 12 senators, and there are two senators each from the Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory. Senators representing the states serve six-year terms, while territorial senators serve three-year terms. Government ministers are drawn from both the House and the Senate.

There are hundreds of local government authorities in Australia. The powers of local authorities are derived from legislation adopted in each state and territory, and their functions vary considerably. Typically, these functions include waste and sanitary services, water, roads, land use, inspection and licensing, maintaining public libraries and recreational facilities, town planning, and the promotion of district attractions and amenities. In some areas, particularly the densely settled suburbs, its role includes the operation of transport and energy systems. Local governments receive funding from their respective states and collect taxes.

The Australian legal system is based on the common law of England, and many laws are identical with those laid down in acts of the British Parliament. The administration of the law is largely in the hands of the states, each of which has a series of courts culminating in a supreme court. Between them these courts have comprehensive responsibilities extending to all matters of state (and to most matters of federal) jurisdiction.

The High Court of Australia, the federal supreme court, consists of a chief justice and six other justices, each of whom is formally appointed by the governor-general. It exercises general appellate jurisdiction over all other federal and state courts and is given the special duty to decide disputes involving the interpretation of the federal constitution and acts of the federal parliament. The High Court also has original jurisdiction on matters such as Australia’s obligations under international treaties, issues affecting foreign representatives, and disputes between states. The court is well respected by legal authorities both inside and outside Australia. The Federal Court of Australia combines the jurisdictions formerly exercised by the Federal Court of Bankruptcy and the Australian Industrial Court.

Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA)

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) is a government body that regulates aviation safety in Australia. They license pilots, register aircraft, oversee aviation safety and promote safety awareness. They also make sure that the aviation community and the public use and administer Australian airspace safely. In July 1995, they were established as an independent statutory authority. They operate within a legislative framework made up of acts, regulations, associated legislative instruments and guidance material. The Civil Aviation Act 1988 describes our role. The Act also forms the basis of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations. These regulations are broken into parts, which may have an associated Manual of Standards, as well as supporting guidance materials. They employ about 800 people across Australia. They work with the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts and Airservices Australia in a tripartite structure to provide safe aviation in Australia.

Pacific Aviation Safety Office (PASO)

The Pacific Aviation Safety Office (PASO) is an international organization providing quality aviation safety and security service for Member States in the Pacific.

PASO is the sole international organization responsible for regional regulatory aviation safety oversight service for the 10 Pacific States who are signatories to the Pacific Islands Civil Aviation Safety and Security Treaty (PICASST).

The current PICASST signatories are the Pacific nations of Cook Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. Associate Members of PASO are Australia, Fiji and New Zealand. Government representatives from these nations make up the PASO Council.

Airspace

SkyVector – Google Maps – ADS-B Exchange

ICAO countries publish an Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP). This document is divided into three parts: General (GEN), En Route (ENR) and Aerodromes (AD). ENR 1.4 details the types of airspace classes they chose to adopt from classes A through G. Australia AIP

Australia Airspace

Airservices Australia is a government-owned organization responsible for the safety of 11% of the world’s airspace. They are responsible for the safe and efficient management of Australia’s skies and the provision of aviation rescue fire fighting services at Australia’s busiest airports. Airservices provide safe, secure, efficient and environmentally responsible services to the aviation industry.

Airservices is committed to facilitating the successful entry of RPAS into controlled airspace in a staged process that will integrate with manned operations. Airservices is committed to an inclusive approach to the safe integration of RPAS operations and recognize the opportunities and challenges generated by the RPAS sector. Airservices is developing the Integrated Airspace Program that will seek to deliver more efficient and suited services to low level airspace users in the near future. Part of this program is to work with CASA to enable automated RPAS approvals for operations that fall within certain parameters.

Operation in controlled airspace

RPAS with advanced equipment levels – In general terms, where the equipment levels and capability of the RPAS reflect those of conventionally piloted aircraft, ATC is responsible for providing a separation service to the RPAS. Generally, the equipment and capability meets this threshold if:

• it is capable of presenting real time information from an certified navigation system;
• is able to maintaining continuous two way communications with ATC; and
• where applicable is equipped with certified surveillance equipment for the airspace in which it will operate.

Note: Portable or fixed installation Electronic Conspicuity (EC) devices (low power equipment able to transmit, and for some devices also receive ADS-B position messages), and  Integrated Traffic Awareness Beacon System (TABS) devices (similar to an EC device, but also able to be detected by traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS)) may not be visible to ATC surveillance systems.

RPAS with basic equipment levels – Where the equipment levels and capability of RPAS do not reflect conventionally piloted aircraft, ATC responsibilities are determined by the location and height of the RPAS operation. RPAS operations in controlled airspace do not automatically trigger responsibilities for ATC.

No Fly Zones around controlled aerodromes – The Manual of Standards (MOS) Part 101 depicts no fly zones and approach and departure paths around controlled (and uncontrolled) aerodromes. The no-fly zone of a controlled aerodrome means any areas and airspace that are below 400 ft and:

a. within 3 NM of the movement area of a controlled aerodrome; or

b. within the approach and departure paths referred to in section 4.05, whether or not they extend beyond 3 NM of the movement area of the controlled aerodrome (MOS Part 101 Chapter 4).

All applications for operations within the ‘no fly zones’ of a controlled aerodrome or above 400FT within controlled airspace must be forwarded to the CASA RPAS Office in the first instance. Visit ‘Flying drones/remotely piloted aircraft in Australia‘ for more information. Due to the nature of the operation and/or proximity to the aerodrome, some applications may be rejected or only approved subject to restrictions of, but not limited to, geographic lateral limits, vertical (altitude) limits, a specific time block and specific communication requirements.

Planning your flight

Applicants should review CASA requirements before commencing an application. RPAS operators should also assess the extremities of their operating area to determine which portions of the no fly zones may be infringed. Flights that are within 3NM but do not infringe the grey or black portions of the no fly zones are more likely to be approved without further restriction. Controlled aerodromes are listed in the Designated Airspace Handbook (DAH).

Airservices process applications (to operate within the ‘no fly zone’ of a controlled aerodrome) based on the risk the operation may pose to conventionally piloted aircraft. The lower the residual risk, the greater the likelihood that the application will be approved. In order to reduce the risk to a minimum, the following should be taken into consideration.

• Operations that are on an extension of a runway centerline pose far greater risk than those that are not.
• Operations that are away from the extended runway centerlines and below the Obstacle Limitation Surface (OLS) of the aerodrome are more likely to be approved with minimal restriction.
• The RPAS is considered to be constrained below the OLS when:
  • it is tethered below the OLS altitudes
  • it is operating in close proximity to and below the height of a nearby obstacle that is below the OLS.
  • for DJI RPAS, on board altimetry (following correction applied by Airservices based on flight time) indicates levels below the OLS.
• Where an operation penetrates the OLS there is an increased risk to conventionally piloted aircraft. These operations must be either:
  • Shielded: An operation that is within 100m laterally of, and below an adjacent obstacle
  • Segregated from conventionally piloted aircraft laterally or vertically; or
  • Managed between conventionally piloted aircraft movements

The OLS is defined by international specifications, as adopted by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority. It defines the airspace surrounding an airport that must be protected from obstacles to ensure aircraft flying in good weather during the initial and final stages of flight, or in the vicinity of the airport, can do so safely. The following diagrams are representative of the OLS for each aerodrome. For confirmation of accuracy and currency of the information, please contact the aerodrome operator.

OLS Adelaide

OLS Albury

OLS Alice Springs

OLS Avalon

OLS Bankstown

OLS Brisbane

OLS Cairns

OLS Camden

OLS Coffs Harbour

OLS Essendon

OLS Jandakot

OLS Karratha

OLS Parafield

OLS Rockhampton

OLS Sydney

OLS Tamworth 1

OLS Tamworth 2

Drone noise – New noise regulations apply to drones. The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications administer the drone noise regulations. Visit the Department’s website for more information about the changes.

Aircraft priorities – Aircraft priorities at controlled aerodromes are contained in the Aeronautical Information Publication Australia (AIP) ENR 10 Regulation of Flight – Assessment of Priorities.

RPAS Surveillance – Increasingly, steps are being taken to monitor RPAS traffic in the vicinity of their aerodromes through passive surveillance systems. Currently Airservices has deployed passive surveillance at all 29 controlled aerodromes in order to understand current levels of risk from RPAS. This system will be enhanced and expanded over time.

Future Airspace Management – Airspace is being transformed at a rapid rate by the emergence of new technologies that will allow products, services and aid to reach people and places faster.

See CASA for additional information including links to legislation, advisory circulars, guides to recreational and commercial flying, safety brochures, and forms. See Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) for information on RPAS safety and occurrence reporting.

Drone Regulations

Drone Laws for Australia.

The Australian government has published a digital map of drone laws that details regulations in 7,610 areas across the country to help increase awareness and compliance among drone operators.

The drone safety rules, also known as the standard operating conditions, apply to all types of drones and remote-controlled aircraft.

The dos and don’ts of flying

You must:

• only fly one drone at a time
• always fly your drone in visual line-of-sight — this means:
  • flying only during the day
  • avoid flying through cloud, fog or smoke
  • you can always see your drone with your own eyes — not by using goggles, binoculars or another device
  • not flying behind obstacles that stop you from always seeing your drone. For example, trees, buildings or other structures.

You must not fly your drone:

• higher than 120 m (400 ft) above ground level — that’s about the height of a 35-storey building or length of a football field
• closer than 30 m to people — other than those helping to control or navigate your drone
• over or above people at any time or height — a crowded beach, busy road, sporting event, concert or wedding are all populous areas
• in a way that creates a hazard to another person, property or aircraft
• near emergency operations
• in prohibited or restricted airspace (use a CASA-verified drone safety app to help you)
• closer than 5.5 km to a controlled airport, which usually has a control tower, if your drone weighs more than 250 g. You can operate indoors provided the drone can’t get out of the building. If you’re a ReOC holder, please see more information on flight authorizations.

You may operate your drone within 5.5 km of a non-controlled airport or helicopter landing site if:

• there are no manned aircraft flying in the area
• you see any manned aircraft flying to or from the airport or helicopter landing site you land as soon as safely possible
• you stay outside the airfield boundary.

The regulations

They classify drones, also known as model aircraft or remotely piloted aircraft (RPA), by size and type.

The drone safety rules simplify the regulations from the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations Part 101.

The Part 101 Plain English guide for Micro and Excluded Category RPA also captures the foundational drone safety rules. It is primarily intended for micro and excluded drone operators. However, it is expected all drone users will find it useful.

You should also read the latest Advisory Circulars to make sure you’re following all the rules that apply to you.

You can apply for additional flight authorizations for:

• recreational drone and model aircraft operators
• remotely piloted aircraft operator’s certificate (ReOC) holders.

Application fees and processing timeframes apply.

Flying for sport or recreation – If you’re flying for sport or recreation, you don’t need a remote pilot license (RePL). If the drone or model aircraft weighs more than 25 kg, you’ll need to apply for an approval to fly.

Flying for work – If you’re flying for work or for your employer, you must have either:

• an operator accreditation to fly a drone:
  • 2 kg or less
  • more than 2kg but no more than 25 kg and you only fly it over your own land.
• a remote pilot license (RePL) and operate for an individual or business that holds a remotely piloted aircraft operator’s certificate (ReOC) to fly a drone more than 2 kg.

Age limits – There is no age limit to fly a drone for sport or recreation. To fly for work or for your employer, you must be 16 years or older to:

• register a drone
• get an operator accreditation.

Flying near emergencies – You must not fly your drone during emergency operations. Flying your drone near emergencies can cause major safety hazards to response teams in the air and on the ground. Using your drone to film or see a fire front might be tempting, doing so could hamper emergency services and break the drone safety rules.

If you fly – other firefighting and rescue aircraft can’t.

For your safety and others, do not fly your drone during:

• natural disasters – bushfires, floods, electrical storms, hurricanes and cyclones
• emergency operations – traffic accidents, tactical response, training or rescue operations.

Check your local fire authority for the latest updates and warnings:

• National Aerial Firefighting Centre
• New South Wales Rural Fire Service
• Australian Capital Territory Rural Fire Services
• Victoria Country Fire Authority
• Queensland Fire and Emergency Services
• Tasmania Fire Service
• South Australian Country Fire Service
• Western Australia Department of Fire and Emergency Services
• Northern Territory Fire and Rescue Services

Flying in populous area – You must not fly your drone in a populous area. A populous area is anywhere people are living or gathered for a purpose. If your drone were to fail and fall, it could pose a risk to the life, safety or property of a person in the area. A crowded beach, a busy road, a sporting event, a concert or wedding are all populous areas.

You can’t fly over people at any time – no matter how high you fly above them.

Major public events are often policed to make sure the public are safe. Leave your drone at home – live in the moment and enjoy these live events.

Many iconic buildings and tourism sites are also located in restricted airspace, making them no-fly areas. For example, Sydney Harbour and surrounding areas.

Flying near airports – A controlled airport generally has an air traffic control tower. At a controlled airport, there’s a lot of air traffic and strict rules about where you can and can’t fly.

If your drone weighs more than 250 g, you must not fly:

• over a departure or approach path
• over a movement area (areas where aircraft can taxi, take off or land on the ground)
• within 5.5 km (3 NM) from a point along a runway centerline (the measurement point) of a controlled airport.

If your drone weighs 250 g or less, you can fly within 5.5 km (3 NM) from a point along a runway centerline (the measurement point). You must not:

• fly over the movement area
• fly over or in the departure or approach path
• create a collision hazard to other aircraft taking off or landing.

A non-controlled airport does not have an air traffic control tower. Many airports in Australia are non-controlled.

You can fly your drone within 5.5 km (3 NM) from a point along a runway centerline (the measurement point) of a non-controlled aerodrome or the departure and approach paths. Any time you become aware of an aircraft, you must:

• not launch your drone
• maneuver your drone away from the path of the aircraft and land as soon as safely possible.

Flying in national parks and forest reserves – There are more than 600 national parks in Australia covering more than 28 million hectares of land. That’s about 10 times the size of Tasmania. To protect animal and plant life and visitors, many states and territories have rules about using drones in national parks and forest reserves. In many parks and reserves, you must apply to fly. For safety reasons, a permit is often required for drone use in commercial forests.

Before you fly, you check your state or territory laws:

• New South Wales (NSW)
• Victoria (VIC)
• Tasmania (TAS)
• South Australia (SA) – National parks
• South Australia (SA) – ForestrySA forest reserves
• Western Australia (WA)
• Northern Territory (NT)
• Queensland (QLD)
• Australian Capital Territory (ACT).

There may also be laws that apply to the launching and landing of drones in your local park or sports oval. Check if local laws apply before you fly on council land.

Flying near marine and wildlife – To protect the amazing wildlife, some states and territories have environmental laws you must follow when you fly. For example, in New South Wales you must not fly a drone within 100 m of marine mammals. If you do, fines are up to $110,000.

Eagles, hawks and falcons are not drone fans. If you fly too close, your drone could become their next target – just like this one.

So before taking off, check your local laws and make sure you’re doing the right thing.

Contact CASA – Have a question? Need help? Try asking our virtual assistant in the bottom right hand corner of your screen. You can also contact them through our online enquiry form.

To keep up to date with the latest drone information and updates subscribe to their mailing list.

CASA-verified drone safety apps use location-based maps to show where you can and can’t fly your drone according to aviation legislation. Our list has both mobile and web-based apps available. Remember to check your local and state or territory government rules before you fly. CASA-verified drone safety apps are for guidance only and should not be used for the purpose of air navigation.

Get your operator credentials

Flying first person view

Enforcement and penalties

Beyond Visual Line of Sight

Apply for beyond visual line-of-sight approvals

Beyond visual line-of-sight exam

CASA EX27/23 — Remotely Piloted Aircraft Operations Beyond Visual Line of Sight Exemption 2023

Instrument number CASA EX27/23

I, CHRISTOPHER PAUL MONAHAN, Executive Manager, National Operations & Standards, a delegate of CASA, make this instrument under regulations 11.160 and 11.205 of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998.

[Signed Chris Monahan]

Executive Manager, National Operations & Standards

5 April 2023

1. Name

This instrument is CASA EX27/23 — Remotely Piloted Aircraft Operations Beyond Visual Line of Sight Exemption 2023.

2. Duration

This instrument:

(a)   commences on the day after it is registered; and

(b)   is repealed at the end of 31 August 2024.

3. Repeal of instrument number CASA EX46/21

CASA EX46/21 — Remotely Piloted Aircraft Operations Beyond Visual Line of Sight Instrument 2021 is repealed.

4. Interpretation

Note .  In this instrument, certain terms and expressions have the same meaning as they have in the Civil Aviation Act 1988 and the regulations. These include: operated within the visual line of sight, remote pilot license and RPA.

(1)     In this instrument:

documented practices and procedures has the meaning given by subsection 1.04(2) of the Part 101 Manual of Standards.

enclosed operation means an RPA operation in which an RPA is operated within a building or other structure, or a naturally occurring or manufactured space underground, in circumstances where:

(a)   it is physically impossible for the RPA to escape and fly away from the building, structure or space if the RPA is no longer under the control of the remote pilot operating the RPA; and

(b)   if the RPA collides with any part of the building, structure or periphery of the space, no material from the RPA, or building, structure or periphery of the space, can move or escape and cause injury to a person outside the building, structure or space.

EVLOS operation has the meaning given by section 5.04 of the Part 101 Manual of Standards.

exempted flight means a flight of an RPA that is operated beyond visual line of sight of the person operating the RPA at any time during the flight.

remote pilot means:

(a)   the holder of a remote pilot license; or

(b)   a person who is taken to hold a remote pilot license under subregulation 202.461(3) of CASR.

RPA operator means a person who is certified as an RPA operator under regulation 101.335 of CASR.

supervising remote pilot, for an RPA operation, means a remote pilot who:

(a)   meets the requirements of subregulation 101.300(4) of CASR for operating an RPA beyond visual line of sight; and

(b)   either:

(i)  is the RPA operator of the RPA being operated during the RPA operation; or

(ii)  if the remote pilot is not the RPA operator of the RPA — has been appointed by the RPA operator to supervise the person operating the RPA during the RPA operation.

(2)     In this instrument, an RPA is operated beyond visual line of sight of the person operating the RPA if it is not operated within the visual line of sight of the person.

5. Exemptions

(1)     A remote pilot who, as an RPA operator or member of an RPA operator’s personnel, operates an RPA for an exempted flight is exempt from compliance with paragraph 101.300(4)(a) of CASR.

(2)     Subject to subsection (3), a remote pilot who, as a member of an RPA operator’s personnel, operates an RPA for an exempted flight is exempt from compliance with subregulation 101.073(1) of CASR.

(3)     The exemption granted under subsection (2) only applies if the RPA operator holds an approval, under regulation 101.029 of CASR, for the operator’s personnel to operate the RPA beyond visual line of sight.

(4)     The exemptions are subject to the conditions stated in section 6.

6. Conditions

(1)     The remote pilot must ensure the RPA operation complies with the documented practices and procedures for operating the RPA for an exempted flight.

(2)     Subject to subsection (4), the remote pilot must operate the RPA under the immediate supervision of the supervising remote pilot, for the RPA operation, who is:

(a)   at the place where the remote pilot is located; and

(b)   readily accessible to the remote pilot; and

(c)   immediately available to advise, and direct, the remote pilot.

Note.   This subsection does not limit the supervising remote pilot observing multiple flights of RPAs, for the RPA operator, at the same time.

(3)     Subject to subsection (4), the remote pilot must comply with the directions, in relation to the RPA operation, of the supervising remote pilot for the RPA operation.

(4)     Subsections (2) and (3) do not apply if the RPA operation is an enclosed operation or EVLOS operation.

C-UAS

Crimes (Aviation) Act 1991

17  Destruction of aircraft

(1)  A person must not intentionally destroy a Division 3 aircraft.

Penalty:  Imprisonment for 14 years.

(2)  For the purposes of an offense against subsection (1), absolute liability applies to the physical element of circumstance of the offense, that the aircraft is a Division 3 aircraft.

Australia Radiocommunications Act 1992

The object of Australia’s Radiocommunications Act of 1992 is to promote the long-term public interest derived from the use of the spectrum. The Act provides for the management of the spectrum in a manner that:

• facilitates the efficient planning, allocation and use of the spectrum; and
• facilitates the use of the spectrum for:
  • commercial purposes; and
  • defense purposes, national security purposes and other non‑commercial purposes (including public safety and community purposes); and
• supports the communications policy objectives of the Commonwealth Government.

Radiocommunications (Exemption – Remotely Piloted Aircraft Disruption) Determination 2022

Radiocommunications (Jamming Equipment) Permanent Ban 2023

Radiocommunications Act 1992 – Includes amendments: Act No. 39, 2024

Australian Communications and Media Authority

Exemptions for banned equipment

The Australian Government is progressing a holistic suite of policies and programs to address security and community safety risks of negligent and malicious drone and Advanced Air Mobility use in Australia.

Law enforcement capability

National Drone Detection Network

Drone Rule Management System

Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Regulations & Policies

The roadmap sets out Australia’s future approach to aviation safety regulation and oversight for remotely piloted aircraft systems and advanced air mobility. It has been developed as an initiative under the National Emerging Aviation Technologies Policy Statement. To create the roadmap, the Aviation Safety Advisory Panel set up a technical working group to help the co-design process with industry.

The Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Strategic Regulatory Roadmap outlines Australia’s approach for RPAS and AAM regulations over the next 10 to 15 years. It sets out their long-term plan for safely integrating these technologies into Australia’s airspace and future regulatory system, alongside traditional aviation.

The RPAS and AAM Strategic Regulatory Roadmap Glossary

The roadmap has been developed using 6 regulatory areas across 4 time horizons. These guide the activities set out in this roadmap.

Time horizons

Immediate term – 2022 to 2023

Near term – 2023 to 2026

Medium term – 2026 to 2031

Long term – 2031 to 2036

Use cases

Regulatory areas

Aircraft and aircraft systems

Airspace and traffic management

Operations

Infrastructure

People

Safety and security

CASA released AC 139.V-01v1.0, an advisory circular providing guidance for vertiport design.

AAM Industry Vision and Roadmap

Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Action Plan for the State of Victoria

2024 – The Australian Government released the Aviation White Paper – Towards 2050 on 26 August 2024. The Aviation White Paper sets out the government’s vision for aviation towards 2050 and will deliver a range of initiatives to ensure a safe, competitive, productive and sustainable sector.

Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) News

2023 – Skyportz partners with Perth’s Electro.Aero to power plans for national vertiport network

2023 – Skyway, Skyportz collaborate on Australian UAM

2023 – Pelligra and Skyportz Partner to Explore Australian Vertiport Opportunities

2023 – eVTOL stakeholders discuss 2027 target launch of AAM in Australia

2024 – Advanced Air Mobility Trials to commence this year

2024 – “First AAM operations in Australia in 2027; industry will develop in three waves” – AAUS

2024 – Australia approves funding for emerging aviation technology

2024 – AMSL Aero and Aeria bring hydrogen aviation fuel to Bankstown Airport in Australia

2024 – Skyportz supports government plans for AAM in Victoria, Australia

2024 – Skyportz welcomes new action plan for advanced air mobility in Victoria, Australia

2024 – Wisk Aero, Skyports expand partnership in Australia

2024 – Partnership to Bring Autonomous AAM Aircraft to Queensland

2024 – Wilbur Air to operate Crisalion Integrity eVTOL in Australia

2024 – LYNEports Integrates Australian Vertiport Design Guidelines into AAM Planning Software

2024 – Joby seeks eVTOL aircraft certification in Australia, Japan, UK

2024 – Why Australia might be ideal for electric flying taxis

2024 – Skyports builds momentum through partnership with Australian real estate developer

2024 – Skyports partners with Wagner on vertiports in Australia

2024 – Blueflite to produce hydrogen fuel cells for drones in Australia

2024 – FlyOnE to build electric aircraft training center in Australia

2024 – Brisbane eyes electric air taxi services for 2032 Summer Olympics

2024 – Thales, Underwood to develop AAM center in Australia

2024 – Skyportz, Microflite to develop vertiport network in Melbourne

2024 – Skyportz and Microflite to transform Melbourne with air taxi vertiports

2024 – Wisk Aero to advance air taxi network in Australia

2024 – Australia’s ATC Agency Prepares to Integrate Autonomous eVTOL Aircraft

2024 – Wisk Forms MoU for Australian Autonomous Air Travel

2024 – Future Hydrogen VTOL Flies Free

2024 – Hydrogen-Powered Long-Range eVTOL Makes First Untethered Flight

2024 – Agreement to Support eVTOLs at Archerfield Airport

2024 – Skyportz welcomes the release of air taxi roadmap in Australia

Short Essay Questions