Since 2021, CASA and Airservices Australia have been trialling automated airspace authorisations (AAA) for commercial drone operations at select civil controlled aerodromes.
Later this year, the trial will transition to a permanent flight authorisation service delivered through Airservices' Flight Information Management System (FIMS) and participating third party service providers — with future opportunities for participating drone safety app providers to continue playing a key role.
The AAA trial, currently delivered by 5 approved app providers using the CASA Digital Platform (CDP), will transition to the new FIMS-based model at civil controlled aerodromes. We expect that to occur around November 2025, UAS Service Suppliers (USS) connected to FIMS will begin delivering airspace authorisations at 28 civil controlled aerodromes.
A transition period will start once the first airspace authorisation is issued via FIMS and is expected run for approximately 12 months. At the end of this period, the CDP-based AAA trial will finish at civil controlled aerodromes. If you plan to offer AAA services at civil controlled aerodromes in future, you will need to connect to FIMS.
The transition period aims to ensure uninterrupted access to automated approvals for industry and a smooth shift for app providers.
The changes in 2025 do not affect flight authorisations in the Sydney Harbour restricted airspace (R405A and R405B). These service will continue to be delivered through the CDP.
Early preparation will help ensure a seamless transition and maintain service continuity for your users. If you're an app provider:
CASA and Airservices are committed to working with you to provide continuity and opportunities in this new operating environment.
