The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) is seeking feedback on three proposals affecting drone and rocket operations, remote pilots and training providers.
The proposals would amend Part 101 of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998 (CASR), the Civil Aviation (Fees) Regulations 1995, and the Civil Aviation Regulations 1988.
Under the proposals:
- Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) would only be required for approved drone and rocket operations where they provide an aviation safety benefit
- an existing regulation would be aligned with current record-keeping requirements, without changing operators' existing obligations
- CASA would be able to set and manage nationally consistent Remote Pilot Licence (RePL) and beyond visual line-of-sight (BVLOS) examinations, delivered by CASA-approved providers
CASA said the proposals aim to improve efficiency, clarity and consistency while maintaining aviation safety.
The consultation may be relevant to operators conducting drone or rocket operations requiring CASA approval for a specific area, those operating uncrewed aircraft covered by existing record-keeping requirements, RePL holders or applicants, those conducting BVLOS operations, and RePL training providers.
The changes follow an earlier public consultation on the post-implementation review of Part 101 and its Manual of Standards, with proposed policy initiatives from that process now reflected in this legislative amendment package. A technical working group established through the Aviation Safety Advisory Panel, including representation from across industry, has also considered proposed amendments to the Part 101 framework.
Feedback can be submitted via the survey linked on the CASA consultation page, or by emailing regulatoryconsultation@casa.gov.au if the survey link isn't accessible. At the close of the response period on September 3, CASA will review all feedback, publish submissions on the consultation hub (unless confidentiality is requested), and release a Summary of Consultation outlining the feedback received and any intended next steps.
CASA said it will continue to monitor and review the new rules during the transition phase and beyond, and will keep working on further proposed changes to Part 101 to better support remotely piloted operations.