Airspace and traffic management covers the policies, frameworks, standards, regulations, and processes needed to support new airspace users. It must support an airspace and traffic management environment that is safe, efficient, provides fair access and operates across all airspace users. This includes:
- airspace structure
- rules of the air
- separation and conflict management
- Uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) traffic management (UTM) services
- equipage and information exchange.
We regulate Australian administered airspace through our Office of Airspace Regulation, which works with stakeholders including Airservices and Defence. Airservices and Defence are responsible for Australia's airspace management. Airservices also manages Australia's:
- aeronautical information
- aviation communications
- navigation aids and technology
- flight path changes
- Aviation Rescue Fire Fighting Services.
What we want to achieve
We aim to create a harmonised national airspace. We will base this on an evidence and risk-based approach where safety is the primary consideration. It will use robust collision risk modelling to minimise restrictions on user access to airspace, balancing other stakeholder needs. This could include efficiency, equitability, the environment, or national security. This approach will maintain an acceptable level of safety performance, regardless of the type of aircraft or pilot. UTM is one enabler of this harmonised national airspace approach.
The activities in this Roadmap must be informed by other Aviation White Paper → Towards 2050 initiatives. This includes Australian Future Airspace Framework (AFAF), the UTM Action Plan and the Airservices’ FIMS. Activities related to Australian airspace are also in the Australian Airspace Policy Statement (2021).