Flight Information Service in the Pilbara region - a review

Overview

We would like your feedback on our review of the adequacy and effectiveness of the existing Flight Information Service (FIS) in the Pilbara region.

Our review was conducted to assess the level of safety for aviation activity and the effectiveness of existing control measures. The review confirmed that despite a low number of reportable safety incidents and accidents, industry feedback highlighted cognitive workload as impacting the safety of their operations.

This review examined pilot cognitive workload, that is, the mental effort required to complete a task or tasks while being influenced by factors such as task complexity, task load and distractions.

Impacts of cognitive workload influence performance measurements which have significant effects on error rates to deliver a safe and efficient operation within aviation. The review focussed on the FIS as a control measure to reduce cognitive workload.

The review highlighted limitations with the provision of FIS to aircraft operating outside controlled airspace in the Pilbara region. These limitations impact pilot workload and distract pilots from critical operational functions.

Background
In response to continued industry feedback on issues experienced during operations in Pilbara airspace, we explored the appropriateness of the airspace architecture, classification, and services within the airspace.

In March 2025, we announced that no risks to aviation safety that required intervention from a regulatory perspective had been identified. Nor was there a need for airspace changes.

However, we concluded that there are challenges related to pilots maintaining situational awareness and a consequential high cockpit workload. As a result, we committed to assess flight information services and work with Airservices Australia on assessing the adequacy of surveillance and communication coverage in the Pilbara region.

This review is a targeted follow-on to our original airspace review and is focused solely on FIS adequacy and cognitive workload.

Documents for review
Please read the ‘2025 Pilbara Airspace Review Flight Information Service’ provided at the bottom of this page to help with your submission.

Why your views matter

We are seeking feedback on our review of the adequacy and effectiveness of the existing FIS in the Pilbara region.

This consultation provides a platform for airspace users to provide feedback on the draft review, to increase safety and efficiency.  

Completing the survey

Please submit your comments using the survey link on this page.

If you would like to provide further feedback, please email OAR@casa.gov.au with the subject line: Pilbara FIS review. Feedback submitted by email will be considered but cannot be published publicly without consent. 

Further information about airspace regulation and the airspace change process is available on the CASA website.

What happens next

Once the consultation has closed, we will:

• review all comments received
• make responses publicly available on the consultation hub (unless you request that your submission remain confidential)
• publish a summary of the feedback received and outline next steps.

Information about how we consult and how to make a confidential submission is available on the CASA website. 

To be notified of any future consultations, you can subscribe to our consultation and rulemaking mailing list.