CASA extends broad-area BVLOS trial while it drafts permanent guidance, consultation due in November

TLDR

• Australia's CASA said on 15 October that its broad-area BVLOS drone trial will continue while it develops an enduring approach.¹²
• Operators get continuity rather than a cut-off date, with existing arrangements staying in place.¹²
• CASA expects to open public consultation on draft guidance in November 2026.¹²

CASA announced on 15 October that, following an internal review, it is progressing work to establish an enduring approach to broad-area BVLOS drone operations that builds on the trial's existing arrangements.¹ The trial has given eligible drone operators more flexible pathways to fly BVLOS across larger areas, and those arrangements will remain in place until a long-term solution is established, so eligible operators can keep using the current pathways.¹²

The regulator expects to open public consultation in November 2026 on draft guidance for broad-area BVLOS operations, which would become Annex B to AC 101-06 and would build on the trial's pathways.¹² CASA says it will seek industry feedback to make the guidance clear and practical for operators applying for broad-area BVLOS approvals.¹² The sources do not say when the final guidance would take effect or whether the trial's eligibility conditions will change.¹²

Why it matters: operators relying on the trial pathways get continuity rather than a cut-off date, and the November consultation is the first chance for industry to shape the permanent rules for flying across larger areas; with no end date announced for the trial or the final guidance, planning beyond that window stays uncertain.