Australian regulators considering ADS-B Out mandate to improve airborne visibility for all aircraft
September 19, 2025
Australia’s Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport, and the Arts (DITRDCSA) is considering the rolling out of a mandate that would require all aircraft, including uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) and advanced air mobility (AAM) vehicles operating in Australian airspace, to carry ADS-B Out transmitters for increased conspicuity.
Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) is an air traffic surveillance technology that enables aircraft to be accurately tracked by air traffic controllers and other pilots without the need for conventional radar.
It is particularly useful in sparsely developed areas, where conventional radar coverage may be minimal and where air traffic control services may be limited.
The reasons behind the proposed mandate
The Australian Government stated in a consultation paper published on 16 September that the primary aims for the wider use of ADS-B were to reduce the risks of mid-air collisions, improve the quality of air traffic services, enhance search and rescue capability, assist with accident investigation, and facilitate the safe integration of emerging aviation technologies such as UAVs, drones, and AAM aircraft.
The proposal would phase in ADS-B Out capability across airspace classes, with some operators and aircraft classes permitted to use approved electronic conspicuity devices instead of full ADS-B installations.
A public consultation on this issue is already underway, with responses required by 27 October 2025.
According to the Australian Federal Government’s proposals, current rules in the country dictate that any aircraft operating in IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) or any aircraft flying over 29,000 feet (8,840 metres) must be equipped with an ADS-B Out transmitter for increased conspicuity.
However, general aviation operations, including VFR flights (Visual Flight Rules), as well as AAM aircraft and UAVs, remain exempt from the current rules and are not required to be equipped with such equipment.
Meanwhile, ADS-B In receivers are not currently mandatory on any aircraft in Australia.
With the ever-increasing use of UAVs, plus the prospect of eVTOL aircraft around the corner, the authorities are increasingly concerned about airspace becoming crowded and a potential lack of oversight for these new areas of aviation.
The proposed timeline for the ADS-B rollout
With this in mind, the Australian government is proposing a phased rollout of new ADS-B Out rules from the start of 2028. Initially, all VFR aircraft would be required to be equipped with and use ADS-B Out transmitters in class A, D, E, and G airspaces.
Portable electronic handheld devices capable of ADS-B would be permitted as a lower-cost option to comply with the new rules.
By 2033, higher-standard installations would be mandatory in class B and C airspaces. Eventually, the Australian Government is aiming to make it law that ADS-B becomes mandatory in all classes of airspace and for all aircraft, although no specific time frame has been set for this transition.
For UAVs, ADS-B Out would be required from 2028 for any units weighing from two to 25 kilogrammes (4.4 to 55lbs).
However, this would only apply when those aircraft were flying at heights of over 400 feet (120m). All drones weighing over 25kg would be covered under the legislation, regardless of the height at which they were to be flown.
Drones conducting beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) flights would also be required to be equipped with ADS-B In, either onboard the craft itself or via a ground-based receiver. Exemptions would apply to tethered and indoor operations.
AAM aircraft would be required to carry both ADS-B Out and In equipment under the rules from 2028.
“The continued growth in the size and scope of Australia’s aviation sector poses new challenges for the safe and efficient operation of Australia’s airspace,” said a DITRDCSA statement.
“The potential benefits of increased use of Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) capability for users of Australia’s airspace have been the subject of discussion among aviation stakeholders for some time, most recently in the 2024 Aviation White Paper, which signalled a clear policy intention to explore an expansion of the existing ADS-B mandate.”
While industry consultation is ongoing, DITRDCSA described the potential mandate as “a major safety improvement.”
The benefits of ADS-B for aviation safety
Australia already has significant ADS-B surveillance coverage across the country. However, with the forecast growth in the use of drones and other new aircraft types in the coming years, the government is trying to stay ahead of the game in terms of flight safety.
The government lists the benefits of increased ADS-B usage as the following –
- Significantly improved surveillance coverage across the region
- ADS-B enables more aircraft to operate safely in the same airspace
- Improved incident, emergency, and search and rescue response
- An increased likelihood of obtaining preferred levels and altitudes by pilots
- ADS-B improves the ability of air traffic control to provide navigation assistance during abnormal situations, such as loss of position
- Improved situational awareness when using ADS-B In transmitters
- The ability of ground staff to track individual aircraft through freely available software
- Cost-effective solutions are available to the whole industry
- When operating outside of radar coverage, as is the case with much of Australia, ADS-B-derived air traffic control surveillance services are already provided to operators of aircraft that are ADS-B Out enabled.
ADS-B ground stations are line-of-sight facilities. The ability for a ground station to receive ADS-B data from an aircraft depends on altitude, distance from the site, and obstructing terrain.
Coverage exists near the surface within 20 nautical miles of the ground station. High-level coverage can exceed 250 nautical miles. Simply put, the higher the transmitting aircraft is, the stronger the signal is, with the corresponding increase in conspicuity.
Working alongside US developments
The Australian government, through the DITRDCSA consultation process, is mirroring work already being carried out in the US.
The Federal Aviation Administration is currently undertaking work in this regard, where the increasing usage of drones, other UAVs, and soon, eVTOL aircraft is due to add a new level of complexity to US-based air traffic control service providers.
The FAA’s draft Part 108 rules for beyond visual line of sight operations would require drones to yield to manned aircraft only if those aircraft are electronically conspicuous through ADS-B Out or a low-cost portable device.
Aircraft without such equipment would not automatically retain right-of-way, according to the FAA proposals
In the meantime, both the US and Australia are signalling that widespread adoption of ADS-B or electronic conspicuity will be central to safely integrating drones and advanced air mobility into shared airspace going forward.
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