Airservices is a government-owned corporation providing safe, secure, efficient and environmentally responsible services to the aviation industry. We manage air traffic operations for around 75 million passengers on more than three million flights every year.

Applying for ADS-B services

Please read this entire process before starting an application. If you need assistance please email adsbservices@airservicesaustralia.com.

Note:The Civil Aviation Safety Authority has advised Airservices that all future applications for ADS-B services for aircraft registered outside Australia must include an approval to operate ADS-B issued by the state of registration.

Guidance material for a process with which State regulators could undertake authorisations of aircraft for ADS-B operations was agreed at the recent ICAO APAC SITF/9 and APANPIRG/21 meetings, held in August and September 2010 respectively. Those meetings developed guidance material and APANPIRG Conclusion 21/40 – Guidelines for Airworthiness and Operational Approval for ADS-B Avionics Equipage.

The guidelines appear in the APANPIRG/21 meeting report at paragraphs 3.4.98 – 100 and Appendix P.Before applying for ADS-B services, operators of aircraft registered outside Australia should contact their local regulator to obtain operational approval. This does not apply to aircraft that have previously been approved to receive ADS-B services in Australia; services will continue for these aircraft.

Airservices is currently considering a proposal to display all transmitted ADS-B data, that have adequate integrity indicators, to ATC screens, removing the need for individual aircraft approval. This proposal is not yet approved. CASA regulations require that ADS-B transmitters be disabled (or ensure that transmitted integrity is zero) if they do not comply with an approved equipment configuration.

For more information please email adsbservices@airservicesaustralia.com. More information and an updated application form will be posted here when available.

Part 1 – Avionics Approval

Note: ADS-B services will only be provided to aircraft that have been confirmed as having ADS-B avionics configurations that are suitable for air traffic control, as per CASA regulations.

  1. Complete the application form including Operator Details and Aircraft Details.
  2. Indicate whether the avionics for each aircraft is already a CASA approved combination. Approved equipment combinations are published by CASA in AC 21-45(0) Appendix D – Approved Equipment 26kb.
  3. For each aircraft that is NOT equipped with a CASA approved equipment configuration, additional information supporting the application will be required. Additional information should demonstrate compliance to the following CASA regulations.

    CASA has also published guidance material in Advisory Circular (AC) 21-45(0) – Airworthiness Approval of Airborne Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast Equipment 77kb.

  4. Submit the completed application form (including additional information if required) to adsbservices@airservicesaustralia.com.
  5. We will examine the avionics information supplied and confirm suitability for ADS-B operations in Australia. For avionics combinations that are not already approved by CASA, we will apply to CASA for approval.

Part 2 – Crew/Dispatcher Training

  1. Operators should conduct crew/dispatcher training prior to ADS-B operations. The following resources are available:
  2. Once crew and dispatchers are familiar with ADS-B operations in Australia, email Airservices at adsbservices@airservicesaustralia.com to notify us that relevant crew/dispatcher training is complete.Alternatively, if crew/dispatcher training is completed prior to submitting the application form, this can be indicated against each aircraft on the Aircraft Details worksheet of the application form.

Part 3 – Confirmation of Final Approval and Start Date

  1. Once avionics are approved and crew/dispatcher training has been confirmed Airservices will advise a starting date for ADS-B Services. The ATC system will be updated to accept ADS-B information from the approved aircraft from the nominated start date. System updates occur on a monthly cycle. Alternate starting dates (that conform to the monthly cycle) can be accommodated.
  2. The operator should inform crew/dispatchers of the start date and ensure that crews are prepared and flight planning requirements will be met from that date. The following operational requirements should be reviewed:

Once ADS-B operations have commenced, operators should notify us if any aircraft details change. This includes changes to the avionics, registration and sale or disposal of the aircraft.

Any queries regarding ADS-B may be directed to adsbservices@airservicesaustralia.com.