Following on from EASA two weeks ago, The Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) Has published it’s RPAS and AAM Strategic Regulatory Roadmap which sets out their plans for RPAS and AAN regulation and integration to 2036. Unsurprisingly, it adopts a conservative approach and carefully avoids setting hard deadline targets. The document is divided into a discussion of options and goals for the Immediate (now to the end of next year) Near (23-26) Medium (26-31) Long (31-36) terms. While on the one hand bullish about the prospects “We’ve developed the roadmap to set out our long-term plan for safely integrating these technologies into Australia’s airspace and future regulatory system,’ Program Manager, Sharon Marshall-Keeffe said. “While the roadmap sets out activities to achieve our current vision, we will continue to work with industry to review and update the roadmap to make sure it stays relevant and supports new technologies and innovation.’
They also take pains to point out that as a regulator they will consider the pace of industry and technical development but stress that one of their fundamental goals is harmonisation of regulatory standards with other regulators notably the US FAA and EU’s EASA. This is where timelines could come unstuck since while the latter has been quite clear about their plans for eVTOL regulations, the former has recently changed the direction of regulatory development and appears determined to work within its existing structures. The workability of that plan is a matter for debate but one certainty is that where there is doubt there will be delay.
