Two temporary exemptions allowing more time for some aircraft operators in Australia to equip with ADS-B avionics expire next year. This means anyone relying on currently approved exemptions to continue to fly without ADS-B capability will need to reapply. The Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) emphasized that these exemptions “will not be extended, so any aircraft not fitted with ADS-B [or a new exemption] will have to fly by visual flight rules only.”

The ADS-B transmitting equipment mandates have been progressively implemented in Australia since 2007. The final mandate, requiring all aircraft operating under IFR to be equipped with 1090-MHz extended squitter ADS-B, took effect on Feb. 2, 2017.

The first exemption, for Australian-registered aircraft, expires on Jan. 1, 2020, and the second exemption, for foreign-registered aircraft, expires on June 6, 2020. The latter expiration date coincides with Europe’s ADS-B deadline.

CASA said any aircraft in breach of the mandates “that are not operating under an exemption may incur a fine for noncompliance.” An application for an ADS-B exemption will incur a regulatory fee and will “only be granted in extenuating circumstances and where an acceptable safety case is provided.”

Operators who receive new exemptions are subject to several limitations, including non-ADS-B-equipped aircraft must have been manufactured before Feb. 6, 2014 and covered aircraft must be operated below 10,000 feet msl.