CASA Consultation on proposed Part 21 amendments
We are seeking feedback on our proposal to allow foreign non-civil aircraft to be type certified in the restricted category for special purpose operations (such as aerial firefighting).
We are also seeking feedback on other miscellaneous amendments.
Proposed amendments – foreign non-civil aircraft type certification
The proposed changes provide improved options for aircraft and equipment that may be used in the Australian environment while maintaining an acceptable level of safety. They would:
- retain the option of accepting aircraft from the Australian Defence Force
- remove the current requirement from Part 21 that foreign surplus military aircraft must be accepted by the armed forces of the United States of America, Canada or the United Kingdom
- replace the requirements for acceptance by particular foreign armed forces with technical criteria specified in the Part 21 MOS. This includes aircraft design, configuration data, critical part identification and records of service and maintenance history.
Other amendments
We also propose to make miscellaneous amendments to the Part 21 Manual of Standards (MOS) to include:
- European standards (certification specifications) for light sport aeroplanes and very light rotorcraft
- criteria and standards for approval of equipment used for the carriage of persons external to a rotorcraft. Some content from the related Advisory Circular 21-32 is being added to the MOS to provide automatic approval without the need for a separate application and further approval by CASA.
Have your say on our Consultation hub by 25 November 2025.
