Carriers' liability insurance and other requirements

If you carry passengers for reward or hire into Australian territory you need to comply with the requirements of the Civil Aviation (Carrier's Liability) Act 1959.

Carriers' liability insurance

Carriers must hold insurance to ensure passengers suffering death or personal injury on an aircraft receive compensation.

You can read more about carriers' liability insurance.

Other requirements related to international operations

The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts is responsible for some additional requirements related to international operations. These include:

• International airlines licence (IAL)
• Charter Approvals
• Noise Standards.

The Department of Home Affairs is responsible for certain security responsibilities relating to aircraft operators, including requirements for transport security plans (TSP). For more information, contact the Transport Security Guidance Centre.

Border control – First Port of Entry into Australia

Unless aircraft receive prior permission, they must enter and depart Australia via a designated international aerodrome. These are:

• Adelaide
• Brisbane
• Cairns
• Darwin
• Melbourne
• Perth
• Sydney.

If you wish to enter Australia by another port, you may need approval from the National Passenger Processing Committee.

Additional landing approval

While we may grant permission to allow an operator to land at a specified aerodrome, you may require permission from the aerodrome operator to use:

• movement areas
• aprons
• terminals.

You need this approval from both destination and alternate aerodromes.

You can find out more in the Aeronautical Information Package (AIP).

Time slot clearances

You must also get time slot clearances. This is very important for operations into Sydney (Kingsford Smith) Airport, where a legislated slot scheme is in place.

Contact Airport Coordination Australia for time slot clearances.

Biosecurity requirements

The department has several requirements for aircraft intending on landing in Australia. These include:

• pre-arrival reporting (pratique)
• mandatory in-flight announcement
• aircraft disinsection
• quarantine waste requirements.

Read more in the Guidelines for Airline and Aircraft Operators Arriving in Australia.