Civil Aviation Safety Authority of Australia (CASA) CEO and Director of Aviation Safety Pip Spence said last week that the authority is moving as quickly as possible to deal with the advances in uncrewed air operations.
“We are working with industry to adjust our approach, timeframes and priorities to reflect your needs without compromising safety,” Spence said, as she provided an update on CASA’s activities in the sector and looked ahead to upcoming initiatives.
CASA has seen further increases in the number of drone pilot licences and operator certificates, now at 43,200 and 3,100 respectively.
Approvals for operations over or near people are rising. “We have seen a large increase in approvals since we introduced new guidance in 2024 through a ‘Temporary Management Instruction’ [TMI],” Spence said. “Industry feedback and an internal post implementation review has shown us we can streamline the various assessment and approval pathways and more clearly define how applicants should apply for these operations. We’ve been engaging with members from industry through a technical working group established under our Aviation Safety Advisory Panel to look at how the current process has been practically implemented. This brought valuable real-world expertise and insights to these discussions. I expect to receive the final advice from the ASAP shortly, and we will then be seeking feedback on a draft Advisory Circular (AC) in the coming weeks.”
Spence explained that, as with the current TMI, the AC will not be mandatory. “Our aim is to provide clear information to applicants on the approval pathways and what applicants need to do when they make an application. Anyone following the guidance in the current TMI can continue to do so. It’s also important to emphasise that it won’t limit the kinds of operations we will consider, so if what you propose to do doesn’t neatly fit, you’ll still be able to work with us – it will just take a little longer.”
Following the current consultation on a draft AC on the adoption of the remaining SORA 2.5 elements, Spence said the next step will be higher-risk operations above Specific Assurance and Integrity Level 2 (SAIL 2). “We’ve just granted our first SAIL III approval to an Australian company to operate its 6-metre wingspan powered-lift aircraft and we’re working through other SAIL III and IV applications. Collaboration will be key here as we seek feedback on acceptable means of compliance at these higher risk levels.”
CASA also continues to support the Joint Authorities for Rulemaking on Unmanned Systems (JARUS) and contributes to the development of future SORA versions, including the next version aimed at improving the air risk assessment model.
“While SORA supports our risk assessment methodology, we’re retaining the flexibility to adapt and incorporate future, alternate risk assessment methods where appropriate,” Spence said. “We want to be at the forefront of developments so that we can be agile and introduce updates that most benefit industry. We can’t do this alone and your involvement will be essential.
Spence said there is growing demand for drones in certain offshore uses such as oil rig inspections, fishing, marine research, offshore surveillance and environmental regulation. She noted that there was strong support at last year’s ICAO Assembly for CASA’s proposed approach which would allow certain kinds of uncrewed aerial operations to be lawfully conducted over the high seas today, while waiting for ICAO to update international standards. “We’re aiming to publish guidelines on how we believe those international obligations can be met – which will focus on ensuring operators have the required capability and undertake an appropriate risk assessment in much the same way they do in Australian territory.”
CASA commenced a broad area beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) trial in October 2025, and Spence said the authority has been pleased with a growing uptake that saw it complete 57 percent more applications in 2025 than in 2024. The trial enables operators who meet certain criteria assess their own operational areas for BVLOS operations. “As of March 9, the trial covered more than half a million hectares across 19 broad operating areas involving eight organisations. Plus, we have more than 15 other operators in the pipeline.” CASA will be seeking feedback from current approval holders and reviewing the data against its safety objectives. Regular updates will be provided to industry as the review progresses.
CASA publishes the current timeframes for processing regulatory services on its website, but Spence explained that these are not targets. “They are what we are doing at the moment. We’re working hard to reduce time frames against a backdrop of both increasingly complex operations and significantly higher demand for approvals. It is worth remembering that CASA has over 3000 approved uncrewed system operators, whereas there are 615 air operator certificate holders providing conventional aviation services such as air transport in Australia.
Turning to new and future projects, Spence said CASA has been working with NSW Police on a trial that is allowing police to patrol a rural town using drones which are controlled by pilots based at an airport in a major city. The authority is also looking to develop a pathway for the commercial use of uncrewed aerial systems weighing more than 150kg.
In addition, Spence said CASA is close to providing a general approval for operations above 400 ft when operating in low-risk areas.
“Integrating drones and AAM into Australian airspace is another important project,” Spence noted, adding that CASA is working closely with Airservices Australia and the Department of Infrastructure on shared airspace.
Upcoming trials include enabling uncrewed pilot licence holders to fly using assisted visual line of sight using a spotter without the need for a separate CASA approval. Later in the year, Spence said CASA will be “turning to the next phase of initiatives in our regulatory roadmap and longer term regulatory reforms”.
Spence also expects a Dubai-style air taxi service to be seen in Australia in the not too distant future. “We have a project to develop licensing rules for piloted, passenger-carrying AAM flights and we’re developing a regulatory framework to support the safe design and operation of vertiports in Australia. Certification of a home-grown eVTOL continues and we are working closely with the members of the National Aviation Authorities Network to give effect to the Network’s Roadmap for Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Type Certification.”
In conclusion, Spence recognised that there is a complex mix of uncrewed operators. “We’re spending time trying to work out what’s a more nuanced approach to the various sub-sectors in the industry in much the same way that we have different risk sector profiles across traditional aviation operators.”
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