The Board of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) meets six times per calendar year to fulfil its obligations under Section 53 of the Civil Aviation Act 1988 to decide the objectives, strategies and policies to be followed by CASA; to ensure that CASA performs its functions in a proper, efficient and effective manner.
The CASA Board met in Canberra on 23 August 2023. Prior to the meeting, we met with the Board of Recreational Aviation Australia (RA-Aus). It was a great opportunity to discuss a range of matters for administering ultralight, recreational and Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) operations in Australia. This included the impact of the Federal Aviation Administration’s draft Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that will re-define light sport aircraft in the United States, known as the Modernisation of Special Airworthiness Certification (MOSAIC).
A key area of discussion, relevant to all sectors within our industry, is what aviation looks like in the not-too-distant future and what workforce skills will be required to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing aviation environment. Consistent with this theme, and following the Board meeting, the CASA Board travelled out to the Canberra suburb of Mitchell to meet with the team at Wing. We had a tour of the facilities and received a demonstration of drone deliveries in an urban setting. We also held a video conference with members of the Wing Aviation senior leadership team in the US to get their views on matters from drones to managing airspace for larger unmanned aerial vehicles (UAM). It was a useful insight into this rapidly developing market.
CASA Board meetings follow a theme-based agenda focusing on organisational matters and operational matters that affect the aviation industry. The organisational matters centre around CASA’s corporate governance, financial position, the status of major projects, cyber security issues, organisational culture, WH&S and workforce planning. The Board received a briefing from the Chair of the People and Culture Sub-Committee and discussed matters relevant to CASA’s workforce. The Board also received standing reports from the Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee and the Industry Complaints Commissioner.
The primary focus of the August Board meeting was to approve the 2022-23 Financial Statements, and the 2022-23 Annual Performance Statement. The approval process was straightforward as CASA has robust internal controls that support the financial accounts and has refined its performance metrics into a useful set of indicators that will continue to evolve as the business changes. The process highlighted the importance of organisations having a strong Audit and Risk Committee to not only support the organisation with its day-to-day functions and risks, but to provide assurance to the Board that internal controls are operating effectively and that the financial and performance information produced is efficacious and reliable.
CASA’s Executive Management Team provided updates to the Board on a range of operational initiatives. This included standing reports on the surveillance activities and the reporting of accidents and incidents. The Board reviewed the strategic risks for the organisation and updated the Risk Appetite Statement to reflect the risk tolerance acceptable to the Board.
Continuing with our earlier theme on emerging technology, the Board received a brief on the Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operation of Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) where the pilot or operator does not have direct visual contact with the RPA during its flight. This included the methodology for assessing the risk of RPA operations referred to as the Specific Operational Risk Assessment (SORA) which was developed by the Joint Authorities on Rules for Unmanned Systems (JARUS). CASA continues to see increased demand for BVLOS operations.
The next Board meeting will be held in Hobart on 12 October 2023. We hope to meet with several operators who are based in Tasmania from across all the aviation sectors.
Air Chief Marshal (Ret’d) Mark Binskin AC
Chair, CASA Board