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The defence prime said on Tuesday that construction is now underway on a 9,000-square-metre hub it hopes will be operational within three years.
The partnership comes after an Airservices report released last month indicated that drone use in Australia is expected to rise from 1.5 million flights per year in 2023 to 60 million in 2043, or an average of 20 per cent per year for the next 20 years.
A report by Scyne Advisory for Airservices Australia predicts that drone flights will increase by an average of 20 per cent per year for the next 20 years. Australia saw around 1.5 million drone flights in 2023.
The “first of its kind” trial, led by Wisk Aero and including RPAS operator Insitu Pacific, the NZ Civil Aviation Authority, ATC operator Airways NZ, and Indigenous-led aerospace venture Tāwhaki, incorporated take-offs, landings, and navigation through controlled and uncontrolled airspace.
The aviation safety watchdog says there are currently around 1.8 million drone users in Australia, with “millions more” expected to buy or receive their first drone over the next year. Its ad campaign, which rolled out on Sunday, includes social media, retail partners, digital video, and digital display.
The event on Tuesday was part of the launch of UNSW’s new bachelor of aviation majoring in Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS), which combines theory with a practical component facilitated by SLS NSW’s Australian Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle Service (AUAVS).
