The federal government's May 2026 budget has included two significant initiatives affecting general aviation, with CASA flagging a major simplification of its regulatory fees and confirming the introduction of an annual VH aircraft registration scheme from 1 July 2027.
The fees overhaul will reduce CASA's charge categories from around 350 to approximately 100, with the regulator describing the move as aimed at lowering compliance and administrative burdens and providing greater certainty to industry on service costs. The CASA Fees Regulations have not been comprehensively reviewed since their introduction in 1995, and fee rates have not been adjusted since 2007.
The annual VH aircraft registration scheme, previously reported by Australian Flying, will require aircraft owners to renew registration annually from 1 July 2027. CASA says the scheme will ensure aircraft data, including ownership, operator currency, contact details and history, is kept up to date, enabling stronger regulatory oversight, better trend identification and more effective risk response.
Consultation on how the scheme will be implemented will take place during 2026-27. CASA has confirmed there will be no charge in the first year of operation, with any revenue raised from 2027-28 covering the cost of administering the scheme. No decisions have been made on how registration fees will be set, with CASA noting the general cost of aircraft ownership will be taken into consideration during consultation.
CASA said both initiatives were decisions made by the Australian Government that it would now look to implement in consultation with the aviation industry.