Notice of proposed rule making - Post-implementation review of the legislative framework for Part 139 - Aerodromes (NPRM 1426AS)

Overview

Part 139 of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998 (CASR) and the subsidiary Part 139 Manual of Standards (MOS) were implemented in 2003. These rules regulate:

• the operation of certified, registered and ‘certain other’ aerodromes
• obstacles and hazards
• aerodrome radio communication services.

By 2014, CASA and industry both recognised that a comprehensive review of the Part 139 legislative framework was necessary. While a review of the rules for fire fighting (Subpart 139.H of CASR) and heliports will be subject to separate consultation, the proposed amendments to Part 139 of CASR and the Part 139 MOS aim to:

• more closely reflect the Standards and Recommended Practices (SARP) for Annex 14, Aerodromes to the International Convention on Civil Aviation (the Chicago Convention)
• simplify the categorisation of aerodromes by moving to two categories: certified aerodromes (regulated) and uncertified aerodromes (unregulated)
• introduce a graduated structure for aerodrome certification requirements to ensure that regulatory requirements are commensurate with the operation(s) being conducted at the aerodrome
• re-write existing regulations in an outcome-based format, where appropriate
• reduce existing regulatory costs
• provide a more streamlined and clearer regulatory framework for Part 139.

Why your views matter

CASA recognises the valuable contribution that community and industry consultation makes to the regulatory development process. This notice of proposed rule making (NPRM) sets out the rationale for updating the rules related to aerodromes, describes previous consultation we have conducted and asks you to consider a range of proposals for rule changes.

A copy of the NPRM is provided below. You can read it on this screen using the scroll bar or save it to your computer using the popup options. Annexes to the NPRM are provided in the 'related' section further down this page.

Please read the documents before providing your feedback in the online survey.

What happens next

At the end of the response period for public comment, we will register and review each comment and submission received through the online response form. We will make all submissions publicly available on the CASA website unless a respondent requests that their submission remain confidential.

When the NPRM submissions are published we will also publish a summary of consultation, which will summarise the feedback received, detail our plans for future policy, and outline any further consultation or planned rule making on this subject.

If we do change the rules, we will not publish a notice of final rule making; information about the rule making will be available in the Explanatory Statement that is published with the final rule on the Federal Register of Legislation. You can subscribe to our consultation and rule making mailing list to be notified of future consultation or rule making on this subject.