Pilots seeking to access the government subsidy for installing automatic dependent surveillance broadcast (ADS-B) equipment will soon be able to apply under a second round opening in July 2024.
The new round comes after the Australian Government announced in this year’s federal budget that it would provide $3.6 million in additional funding over 3 years from 2024-25 to extend and expand the program. This takes total funding available over the program term to $8.4 million.
Round 1 of the rebate was aimed at owners of Australian-registered visual flight rules (VFR) aircraft seeking to fit either integrated ADS-B OUT equipment or electronic conspicuity (EC) devices such as the SkyEcho II. Round 2 is expected to broaden eligibility to include gear that offers ADSB-OUT, ADSB-IN, or both. Owners of aircraft flying under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) will also be able to claim for ADSB-IN equipment.
Updated guidelines for the program will soon be available on the ADS-B rebate website.
As in round 1, the rebate will cover 50% of the cost of buying and installing equipment, up to a maximum of $5,000 for each aircraft.
The scheme, which was originally launched in 2022 and was extended for 12 months due to equipment and engineer shortages, is designed to improve aviation safety.
Find out more
- Read more about the ADS-B rebate program and information on how to apply.