Application process for CASA services charged at an hourly rate
Step 1. Contact CASA
Obtain an application form from the CASA website or contact the CASA Service Centre or your local CASA Office to request a form. In many cases a form is not applicable. If in doubt, contact the Service Centre or local CASA office.
The CASA Service Centre is available 7.00am to 6.30pm EST and your local CASA Office staff are available from 8.30 am to 4.30pm local time, Monday to Friday to answer your questions and explain the application process. CASA contact details.
Step 2. Complete and send application form
Complete, sign and send the application with the required supporting documentation to the relevant CASA Office.
Step 3. Review of the application package
CASA will review the application to ensure that you have answered the relevant questions and provided any documents asked for in the application.
Should the application be incomplete, we will contact you and provide you with the opportunity to address the shortfall. Please remember that your application will be returned to you if you do not address the shortfall within a reasonable period of time.
Step 4. Estimate of costs
On the basis of information provided in your application, CASA will estimate the costs of processing your application based on the requirements of the Civil Aviation (Fees) Regulations.
How is the estimate calculated?
The estimate is based on an hourly rate of $100, $130, $160 or $190. Generally, a general aviation matter is likely to be charged at $160 per hour and a service provided by an air transport operations inspector at $190 per hour.
The estimate covers the assessment of your application, processing and issue of your permission/certificate and may include the following:
- Assessment and inspection of your written procedures, key personnel and your facilities
- Any direct costs CASA has incurred in undertaking the service eg business name checks
The required payment is calculated based on the following payment scale with the balance payable on or before the issue of your certificate:
- If the estimate is less than or equal to $8,000, then the full payment in advance is required.
- If the estimate exceeds $8,000 the minimum initial payment required is $8,000 or 50% of the total estimated cost whichever is greater
Before your application can be processed further, you must:
- Pay the required initial payment of the service AND
- Submit all supporting documents listed in the Estimate Letter sent to you.
Estimate valid for 30 days
The estimate is valid for 30 days from the date the estimate is sent.
If we have not received your payment and any supporting documents required within 30 days, your job may be closed and your application returned to you.
Where payment of the estimate is made outside the 30-day limit, CASA will review the estimate to ensure its continued validity.
Variations to the cost
The actual cost to the applicant may differ from the original estimate as a result of differences in the actual hours required to perform the service or due to alterations in charges prescribed in the Civil Aviation (Fees) Regulations.
If required by CASA, subsequent monthly payments may be required to cover continuation of work until total receipts equal the revised estimate.
If it becomes apparent at any stage of the process that the total cost will exceed the estimated cost, CASA will contact you in writing and an agreement will be made for payment of the extra funds.
Please note that if you are advised that charges will exceed the original estimate, CASA will not proceed with your application until you provide written confirmation that you accept the variation.
If you are not satisfied with an estimate variation, you can ask CASA to review the process used to calculate your charges.
Review process
CASA is committed to charging fairly and consistently for regulatory services. However, if for some reason you believe either the initial estimate of costs or the final total payment requested for a service is incorrect, you can ask CASA to review the calculation process.
In the first instance, simply contact the CASA office or officer responsible for issuing your initial estimate or final payment request and ask for your charges to be reviewed.
If you are unsatisfied with the result of this review, you can request that your query be escalated to CASA management for consideration.
If you remain unsatisfied with the process used to calculate the final amount requested, you can ask for a third and final review. Depending on the nature of your application, this will be conducted by a senior manager of one of CASA's operational groups.
Withdrawal of Application
You can withdraw your application in writing at any time however you will be charged for time spent on the assessment of your application up to the date of withdrawal.
CASA’s refusal to issue
The Civil Aviation (Fees) Regulations do not exempt the applicant from paying the costs incurred by CASA if the permission applied for is refused, or the job is closed due to lack of requirements or response from the applicant.
Payment options
You may choose any of the following payment options to pay the estimated cost:
- Cheque
- Credit Card
- EFT
To pay by cheque
Make your cheque payable to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority Australia.
Please send your cheque by post to the relevant CASA office with the CASA Payment Form and required supporting documents as outlined in the CASA Estimate Letter.
To pay by credit card
- Phone the relevant CASA Office and provide your job reference no and credit card details or
- Complete the attached CASA Payment Form with your details and fax the form to the relevant CASA Office. or
- Complete the attached Payment Form with your details and post the relevant CASA Office.
To pay by Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT)
Customers also have the option of paying their estimates by Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). Should you wish to utilise this option then please contact your local CASA Office and they will provide you with CASA’s bank account details to effect the payment.
Please note that if you choose to pay your estimate by EFT it is crucial that you supply a remittance advice to the CASA Office showing the reference of the job you’re paying for. Your job will only progress to the next stage upon issue of a Tax Invoice receipt. If we can easily identify your payment, your application will proceed faster.
Step 5. Assessment
Once payment and supporting documentation are received, CASA will allocate your job to a CASA inspector or a team of inspectors for assessment. The assessment process will involve a detailed assessment and any or all of the following:
- Preliminary assessment
- A preliminary assessment is a review on your supporting documents to determine technical correctness of the general content of your procedures manual and other supporting information.
If your supporting documents are insufficient, all or part of the package will be returned to you for correction and completion.
Failure to provide any supporting documentation within a reasonable timeframe may result in your application being suspended. CASA will cancel any applications that remain suspended/ dormant for more than 90 days. - Pre-assessment meeting
- If required, a meeting with you just prior to the detailed assessment of the application may be requested by CASA.
This meeting provides you and CASA the opportunity to discuss the application, each other’s expectations and address any issues found in the preliminary assessment or may arise during the detailed assessment.
The assessing CASA office will host this meeting. You will be invited to contact a nominated CASA Officer and arrange a suitable time for the meeting. - Detailed assessment
- Detailed assessment of your supporting documentation including your written procedures and qualifications of staff
- Inspections and test of your facilities, tools and equipment and key personnel
- Any other assessment relevant to the permission applied for.
- Assessment carried out by CASA will be governed by the legislative requirements applicable to the permission you have applied for.
Step 6. Recommendation
Once the assessment is complete, a recommendation to issue or not to issue the permission will be made to the CASA delegate.
Note: This step of the process may or may not be required depending on the type of permission.
If the permission to be recommended varies from what you have applied for, or if the application is declined, CASA will discuss this with you.
Step 7. Approval and Certificate issue
CASA will reconcile the actual hours against the estimated hours for the assessment and either process a refund or issue an invoice to you.
If approved, your certificate/permission will be faxed to you on the same day and the original forwarded by mail.