Sydney-based drone manufacturer Carbonix has become the first company in Australia, and believed to be the first globally for its class of aircraft, to achieve Safety Assurance Integrity Level (SAIL) III certification for a long-range fixed-wing drone platform.
The certification, achieved through years of work with the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), marks a significant step toward treating advanced drones as trusted aviation systems rather than experimental technology. It makes it easier for approved operators to undertake large-scale Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) missions across extended areas.
Following the certification, Carbonix has already received approvals to operate across the Surat Basin in southern Queensland, an area roughly the size of Belgium, inspecting gas gathering and pipeline networks for major energy customers.
The breakthrough is expected to open the door to wider deployment of long-range drones for applications including bushfire detection, shark surveillance, power line inspection, gas pipeline monitoring and remote infrastructure surveying. With Australia preparing for what could be a challenging fire season, the timing of the approval is particularly significant.
Founded by former America's Cup engineer Dario Valenza, Carbonix designs and manufactures long-range carbon-fibre drones in Sydney capable of replacing helicopters and light aircraft for many inspection and surveillance tasks.