As new advanced technologies and other capabilities become available, we will see changes affecting Australia's current civil aviation operations. We have loosely grouped this range of technologies and capabilities under the term 'evolved conventional operations'.
We must consider a range of changes to existing conventional operations for regulatory planning purposes.
We expect evolved conventional operations will cover a wide range of developments. This can include:
- advanced avionics and systems
- advanced materials and aerodynamics
- automation
- simulation and modelling
- advanced operations
- other developments (for example, long haul single pilot operations).
Many of these evolved conventional operations do not have a deployment date and engage issues outside CASA's remit for safety and airspace regulation.
We also expect some of these activities will not need significant regulatory activities for us to prepare for their deployment, for example new equipment technologies that can be certified for safe aviation use under the existing initial airworthiness regulations.
Electric propulsion systems and alternative fuels
One area of evolved conventional operations is electric propulsion systems and alternative fuels.
This term covers known new propulsion and energy storage systems including:
- battery-electric
- hybrid-electric
- hydrogen-electric (fuel cells)
- hydrogen-fuelled jet-engines
- sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs)
- lead-free aviation fuels for piston-engines
- ultra-high bypass-ratio (UHBRs) jet engines
- cracked-ammonia fuelled jet-engines.
A medium-term solution to decarbonising long haul air transport depends on developments in other high density sustainable fuel sources. This would include one, or a combination, of:
- development of SAFs as a replacement fuel for existing aircraft
- innovation in battery electric aircraft
- aircraft powered by fuels such as hydrogen.
Safety regulatory activities in this field will centre on airworthiness standards and pilot competencies, depending on the technology involved.
The Australian Government's Department of Industry, Science and Resources administers fuel quality standards.
Activity status in the immediate to near term
Industry and academia are developing battery electric and hydrogen fuel technologies. These technologies are in the research, development, and early testing phases.
Battery electric propulsion is evolving rapidly. This is due to significant investments of eVTOL platform developers.
We will watch international developments to inform how we prepare to make rules for these technologies. This includes both Australian and foreign products.
In the immediate term, we expect to start creating policies and identifying standards that will support developing and deploying these technologies.
We are watching how aircraft manufacturers are managing the safe adoption of SAF.
Activity status in the medium term
In the medium term, we expect to be involved in the regulatory assessment of locally developed technologies such as electrical propulsion and hydrogen fuel. We must develop policy and guidance to support this work.
Operators are already using SAF in Australia but not at scale. Some aircraft manufacturers refer to new engines being 100% SAF compliant by 2030.
We have a minimal role in regulatory oversight of fossil-based aviation fuels. Key non-safety regulatory issues affect the deployment of those technologies in the Australian aviation environment.
Engagement with key stakeholders for these issues (for example the Department of Industry, Science and Resources) is a critical part of our activities. This engagement helps us to ensure that we understand our role in the deployment of relevant technologies and capabilities.
We expect to absorb any safety regulatory activities for SAF into business-as-usual activities.
Activity status in the long term
In the longer term, we expect our involvement in ongoing regulation of widespread activities of aircraft using novel fuel types.
We expect this to cover both locally developed and imported technologies. We will continue to develop our standards guidance and practices to support this work.