I’d like to acknowledge the Kabi Kabi and Jinbara people as the traditional owners of the land on which we’re meeting and their continuing connection to land, water and community and pay my respects to elders past, present and emerging.
Great to be in the Sunshine Coast and Queensland where regional aviation plays such an important role, thanks to Rob for organising.
I’d like to thank the RAAA for supporting us on initiatives such as those aimed at addressing the LAME shortage.
You may know that we’re approaching our 30th anniversary – CASA was founded on 6 July 1995 – and it’s amazing to reflect on the changes since then.
At that point, Ansett Australia was still flying, there was no Virgin Australia, Qantas and TAA had merged just 3 years ago, Compass I and II had come and gone and the new Qantas was still in the throes of being privatised. The government still owned Australia’s airports.
One thing that hasn’t changed is the crucial role played by regional aviation.
It remains as important today as it’s ever been for rural and remote communities as the lifeline that gives them access to services and connectivity.
There’s a lot we can’t control but one area we are focused on is how we can safely support industry.
We understand that people want their applications processed as soon as practicable and we’ve been working hard to improve our service delivery performance and to make it more transparent.
Our new service delivery dashboard highlights response times and other key performance indicators as part of commitment to giving greater visibility of our processes so operators can better plan.
The dashboard, which should be expanded significantly in coming weeks, highlights the volume of completed services, service delivery performance and processing times for various services for both individuals and organisations.
You can find how many business days we’re taking to process typical applications in each of the areas, how many are completed and the percentage completed during the service target days.
The service delivery data is colour coded so you can easily see which services are exceeding or on target and which are not.
We’re also making it quicker and easier to make applications to CASA when it’s most convenient to you through our myCASA portal.
There are now 114 separate online services with over 230,000 registered users as we transition away from paper-based form processing.
More than 190 existing paper forms will move to online submission by the end of 2025 - initial focus will be for individuals, with industry-based forms and a delegate management service are due to be rolled out to industry by late 2025.
Complementing our moves to improve service delivery is a new charter outlining the standard of service stakeholders and clients can expect when they interact with us.
We’re doing what we can to address the shortage of LAMEs with a multi-pronged approach that involves close engagement with industry.
We’re reliant on you to tell us what will make the most difference; our starting point is the roadmap advocated by the RAAA but if new pressures emerge, let us know.
The introduction of the modular licence was the first step, and we’ve just finished gathering feedback on a framework that will help us recognise a foreign state’s aircraft maintenance licensing system and streamline the issuing of an Australian licence to an internationally qualified LAME. We proposed that if a foreign state’s maintenance licensing system is successfully assessed by us, it will be listed in the Part 66 Manual of Standards as a recognised State.
This would streamline the process for licence holders from that country when they apply for recognition of their foreign qualifications to obtain an equivalent Australian licence. They will still have to meet other requirements such as English language proficiency, recency of experience, and knowledge of Australian aviation legislation.
Not new – but simpler and faster.
Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States are proposed to be the first cabs off the rank but we proposed to progressively add other suitable countries.
The consultation received a strong albeit mixed response with around 370 submissions received. We’ll now work through analysing and considering the feedback we’ve received through this process.
Other initiatives we’ve rolled out include a trial allowing Part 145 approved maintenance organisations to authorise foreign licence holders to certify maintenance of VH-registered aircraft in Australia for a limited duration while those people work toward obtaining a Part 66 licence. Outcomes of the trial will inform future initiatives.
We also made the change earlier this year to allow maintenance engineers who fail an exam to more quickly resit it.
Students have been able to take advantage of a self-study training and examination pathway introduced in 2021. This currently does not apply to the removal of exclusions under the modular licensing system but we are working to address this.
As the number increases with ‘self-study’ LAMEs, we think this should be particularly attractive to students in regional and rural Australia, particularly when combined with modular licences.
We’re doing what we can to help address the LAME shortage but, we can only do so much and this issue requires an industry-wide focus.
We will continue to work with you to address this important problem and we appreciate the support the RAAA has given us.
Our GA workplan 2.0 is close to being published and features around 20 initiatives, including 4 that will carry over from the original launched in 2022.
The refreshed document considers industry feedback and recognises the important role general aviation plays in Australian society, regional connectivity and the economy.
In 2024, we sought feedback on refreshing the GA Workplan and we have also consulted with the GAAN and ASAP.
We adopted broad themes from the consultation that include:
These categories cover issues ranging from the carriage of firefighters by aerial work operators, mutual recognition of qualifications, policy development work around a Class 4 medical, a review of business transport flights and streamlining flight examiner ratings approvals.
One lesson learned from the previous version is that we will look closely at some proposals before undertaking them to ensure they provide sufficient benefits to industry and are a good use of our limited resources.
A thorough upfront analysis will allow us to make informed decisions about issues such as prioritisation, effective resource allocation and realistic timeframes.
We’ll be engaging with appropriate members of the aviation community on the initiatives and the scoping.
If people have other issues on which you think we should be focusing – something we may have missed – let us know through the relevant channels.
Transparency remains important to us and we’ve grouped the GA Workplan, the forward regulatory program and our recently updated RPAS and AAM Strategic and Regulatory Roadmap together on our website.
This will allow people to clearly see changes, updates and initiatives across all 3 programs.
The 2023 coronial findings into the 2020 crash of a Cessna 404 near Lockhart River in Northern Queensland have prompted us to look at impacts, costs or otherwise, that will inform a consultation on fitting Terrain Awareness Warning Systems (TAWS) to smaller aircraft with 6+ seats in the future.
It’s worth noting that the International Civil Aviation Organization has a standard requiring this equipment for newly certified aircraft in this seat range from January 2026.
Rules that came into effect in late 2023 required a broader range of passenger-carrying aircraft and medical aircraft to be fitted with TAWS and raised questions about mandating this significant safety tool for this size of aircraft.
We’ve continued to work through detailed policy analysis and considerations to fully understand the impacts of this proposed change and we expect to go to consultation soon.
We’re also big advocates of ADS-B and we’ve been strongly encouraging the fitment of the technology – emphasising the top line option of ADS-B IN/OUT with a transponder that is visible to ATC and other appropriately equipped aircraft.
Near misses and mid-air collisions continue to highlight the safety risks that this technology might help address, highlighting the Federal Government’s rebate scheme designed to encourage its adoption.
The issue of 5G interference with radio altimeters hasn’t generated the kind of heated news coverage it did in America, and I think that’s because we’ve followed an orderly transition ahead of the deadline of 31 March 2026.
This is the point that all aircraft will need to be fitted with radalts that meet the interference tolerance requirements to be able to fly specified instrument approach procedures into almost 20 airports across Australia, mainly for low-visibility procedures.
We’re advising operators to talk to aircraft and equipment manufacturers to discuss upgrade options and how they can be fitted.
Many are designing or offering upgraded systems to better handle interference from 5G. However, some old radalt systems which cannot be upgraded, or which are no longer supported, may need to be replaced.
Our aim when we introduced flight operations suite in December 2021 was to improve safety while reducing complexity.
We deferred some provisions from the start to ensure we maintained the focus on achieving the safety benefits we were seeking, rather than turn it into a 'tick and flick' exercise.
Now halfway through the fourth year of the transition, we’re looking at the roll out of safety management systems and human factors/non-technical skills training for certain operators.
We’re looking at how best to support people while ensuring the safety benefit of these 2 initiatives.
The concept behind mandating SMS is to get operators to think more about improving safety in their organisation and to help them use tools such as human factors to systemically identify and analyse risks.
This has a positive impact on safety management by reducing errors, improving communication, cutting injury rates, reducing costs and boosting employee satisfaction.
Many aviation sectors already have SMS requirements, including flight training organisations, maintenance organisations, aerodromes, large air transport, and self-administering organisations.
Safety will be further enhanced when we expand these requirements to include all air transport operators, and some aerial work operators.
HF/NTS training aims to ensure all operational safety critical personnel have a knowledge of how people react within their environment and strategies for communicating as a team, decision making, maintaining situation awareness and managing stress.
Across all these important initiatives we have been very mindful about the need to ensure what we’re asking for is appropriate for the size of the organisation, and that we provide clear guidance and best practice examples of what organisations need to do to comply.
The NOP is moving us to a risk-based system which covers critical elements required by the International Civil Aviation Organization and the Civil Aviation Act.
Advantages of the new system include more effective reporting that will help us develop an oversight history of individual operators and the sectors in which they operate, provide an assurance of good governance and promote continuous improvement.
Most important, we’ll be looking at all our what we’re seeing from all our touchpoints with industry and we will be not just focusing on individual operators but also on trends across the sector.
The approach to scheduled surveillance will be consistent across operators regardless of office location or the inspector conducting the audit. Operations will be audited using the same questions, against the same regulatory references.
The data we collect will also be analysed, shared and used to inform future decisions based on risk.
The change means operators will know our focus when audits are scheduled and will be able to see where they fit in terms of ‘best practice’ in the sector or sectors in which they operate.
It will also allow us to provide information on non-compliance trends in a particular sector which can be used to promote safety improvements with individual operators.
The current campaign on dangerous goods is an example of how we can cooperate with industry to address systemic issues.
Research told us that passengers expect clear, consistent safety information – no matter who they fly with.
Many don't recognise dangerous goods and want early guidance from their airline or airport at least a week before check in.
Research to understand traveller packing behaviours led to development of a campaign that aims to help passengers understand what they can and can't pack, and where to pack it.
The campaign, that was launched over Easter, included a focus on lithium batteries and making sure people packed spare batteries and power packs in their cabin baggage and secured them appropriately.
We have ready-to-use material, a new campaign website and a video.
Let us know how we can support you.
The Australian International Airshow at Avalon was a great venue to launch our aviation safety pledge for pilots and aviation organisations and we’re happy with the way it’s unfolded.
Why? Research shows public commitment changes behaviour.
We expanded it during May, which we dedicate to the people who keep our aircraft flying, to include aircraft maintainers and maintenance organisations.
The pledge is a commitment by individuals and organisations to uphold the highest standards in safety.
It reinforces safety as a shared responsibility, plus we know that when people make a public commitment, they feel more accountable and are more likely to follow through.
Thank you to RAAA for being the first organisation to sign the pledge – and we encourage everyone in the room here to do the same and set an example for others in the industry.
An issue that has been live for some time is the growing examples of commercial air transport operations into non-controlled aerodromes.
In Ballina, a sustained growth in air traffic movements and the complexity of different airspace users triggered a detailed analysis of the controls available to achieve an acceptable level of safety. Changes have been gradually introduced.
In the Pilbara there has been continued growth in the number and type of aircraft seeking to access the airspace around various mining aerodromes.
The prevalence of FIFO operations that are concentrated around specific times of day and an increasing number of new mining airstrips prompted CASA to conduct an airspace review.
Interesting example of when the data doesn’t tell the full story.
Without all the ins and outs – report released in March 2025 CASA concluded that no aviation safety issues had been identified that required immediate action. However, there are clearly challenges related to pilots maintaining situational awareness and a consequential high cockpit workload.
We will assess flight information services and work with Airservices Australia on assessing the adequacy of surveillance and communication coverage in the Pilbara region.
CASA is engaging with Airservices, mining companies, local flying operators, and aerodrome operators to explore options to enhance current and future levels of safety for Pilbara operators including through the Pilbara Operators Safety Forum (POSF).
CASA initiated the development of new aviation charts for the region that allow better depiction of flight paths, reporting points, and aerodrome locations. These have now been published.
Pilbara aerodrome operators have commissioned a third party to design standard terminal arrival routes (STARS) and Standard Instrument Departure (SIDs) procedures for seven of the Pilbara aerodromes (36 new approaches) which enable segregation of IFR aircraft. These procedures are currently scheduled for implementation in 2026.
CASA has engaged with WA Planning agencies and the Australian Minerals Council to seek support from mining companies to engage early with CASA and Airservices before committing to any new aerodrome developments.
CASA is conducting a separate flight information service (FIS) review, which is expected to be available for consultation with industry before the end of July 2025.
Safety is a shared responsibility and it’s essential that we work together. Collating and sharing data help us to help you and it’s something we will be doing more often.
You will be able to monitor our ongoing work to improve service delivery through our new dashboard, which will hopefully enable you to plan better.
We remain committed to keeping you informed about regulatory changes, initiatives to reduce unnecessary red tape and cost burdens, as well as our commitment to emerging technology.
I look forward to continuing to work with all of you and the RAAA.
Thank you.
