Standard Industry Exemptions

A "Standard Industry Exemption" is an exemption from the flight and duty time limitations set out under CAO Part 48. Under CAO 48 Paragraph 4.1, CASA is authorised to issue an instrument in writing to exempt a person from any of the requirements set out in Part 48. It is in effect a permission from CASA for an operator to work to a different set of flight and duty time limitations. CASA will only issue such an exemption to an operator who has applied in writing to operate to the exemption and satisifed CASA that they are operationally capable of working at an equivalent level of safety to CAO 48, when operating to the flight and duty time limitations set out in the exemption.

For more information, see:

Applying for a Standard Industry Exemption
Renewing a Standard Industry Exemption
Changes to Standard Industry Exemptions
Length of Issue of Standard Industry Exemptions
Standard Exemptions to CAO Part 48

Standard Industry Exemptions from Civil Aviation Order 48: Assessment of Worst-case Scenarios
prepared by Drew Dawson and Greg Roach at the Centre for Sleep Research,
University of South Australia
for the Aviation Safety Promotion Branch,
Civil Aviation Safety Authority

Applying for a Standard Industry Exemption

CASA does not automatically issue standard industry exemptions; A CASA delegate will not issue a standard industry exemption unless they are satisfied that the AOC holder will not operate flight crew that are considered to be a fatigue risk.

To apply for a standard industry exemption, you must make a written application to your local CASA office.

You should include:

The reasons why you wish to operate to the exemption;
A statement of your operational capability to work to an equivalent level of safety to CAO 48 when operating to the limits within the exemption;
Your legal and trading names;
Your ARN;
Your AOC;
Your postal address;
A contact telephone and fax number.

Renewing a Standard Industry Exemption

To renew a standard industry exemption you must make a written application to your local CASA office.

You should include:

The instrument no. of your current exemption;
The expiry date of your current exemption;
The reasons why you wish to operate to the exemption;
A statement of your operational capability to work to an equivalent level of safety to CAO 48 when operating to the limits within the exemption;
Your legal and trading names;
Your ARN;
Your AOC;
Your postal address;
A contact telephone and fax number.

WARNING

Please note that it in some cases it may take up to 28 days to issue a standard exemption renewal, therefore it is advised that operators apply for exemption renewal at least one month in advance of the expiry date.

If your exemption expires and you have not been issued a new exemption, you must operate to CAO 48. It is illegal for you to continue to operate to an exemption that has expired.

Changes to Standard Industry Exemptions

Standard industry exemptions may not be altered in any way.

If an operator holds more than one standard industry exemption, all of their flight crew are able to operate to either exemption, however when flight crew are undertaking each type of operation they must operate to the exemption that is relevant to that particular type of operation.

For example, if an operator holds both a high and low capacity operations exemption, when flight crew are undertaking high capacity operations they must operate to the exemption relevant to high capacity operations, and when flight crew are undertaking low capacity operations they are to operate to the low capacity exemption.

Note that if flight crew are operating to two exemptions, they must work to which ever is the most restrictive of the two exemptions.

Length of Issue of Standard Industry Exemptions

Standard exemptions may be issued for the life of your current AOC, however the length of issue is at the discretion of the delegate.

For example, if your AOC expires on 30 April 2005, your instrument will probably say: this exemption shall remain in force until 30 April 2005 unless suspended or revoked by CASA.

Standard Exemptions to CAO Part 48

All standard industry exemptions are issued as an instrument, with an attached schedule "Flight Crew Flight and Duty Limits". For example, and operator who conducts flying training operations would receive an instrument and a schedule consisting of Sections 1-4 and PartV(A). An operator who undertakes both international and high capacity domestic operations would receive an instrument and a schedule consisting of Sections 1-4 and Parts II and III.