We expect to see significant changes to the way we manage airspace in the future in relation to:
- uncrewed aircraft system traffic management (UTM) systems affecting future remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) and advanced air mobility (AAM) operations. UTM refers to the ecosystem of technologies, systems, and procedures to support the safe management of airspace occupied by uncrewed aircraft
- certain communications, navigation and surveillance (CNS) capabilities such as remote identification (Remote ID) and detect and avoid (DAA) technologies.
UTM systems
UTM will help enable the adoption of advanced RPAS operations such as beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) and package delivery in Australia.
This emerging technology may in time allow integration of passenger carrying AAM vehicles. This will ultimately lead to integration of all air traffic both crewed and uncrewed.
Remote ID
Remote ID technologies fitted to RPAS aircraft may help by:
- increasing situational awareness between RPAS and crewed aircraft
- supporting the management of noise, privacy, and environmental concerns
- gathering data to support future regulatory and policy development.
DAA technologies
DAA technologies fitted to uncrewed aircraft will help prevent collisions with objects or other aircraft. These technologies will be key in enabling advanced RPAS and AAM operations. DAA technologies are a supporting component of a UTM ecosystem.
We also expect other evolutionary changes to airspace management in the next decade. We will assess and implement plans for these changes through our business-as-usual activities.
Activity status in the immediate to near term
We have started building our workforce capability and capacity to support regulatory inputs for future airspace activities.
We are working on developing high level UTM policy with:
- Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts
- Airservices Australia.
We expect other work including rulemaking (if necessary) for the use of DAA technologies in 2024. We expect that industry will begin to use DAA technologies from early 2025.
We are also working on remote ID technologies and their deployment. We have begun initial regulatory policy work with the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts.
Activity status in the medium term
We expect to focus on policy work supporting legislative actions for UTM activities through to mid-2027 in the medium term.
This follows high level government policy work and workforce capability actions in the immediate term. It also follows the commencement of detailed safety regulatory policy work.
Activities will include ongoing policy work for non-legislative actions to support the implementation of a UTM ecosystem. These activities will extend on an ongoing basis into the longer term.
Activity status in the long term
In the longer term, we expect final legislative policy and rulemaking activities through to mid-2031. We expect an effective UTM ecosystem to be in place from late 2030.
We expect implementation activities for a UTM ecosystem to continue until the end of 2032 and beyond.