AAUS Drone Industry Accreditation Program |
OBJECTIVES |
AAUS' core objective is to support a safe, professional and thriving uncrewed systems industry in Australia. As the use of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) expands across a wide range of civil applications—from infrastructure and agriculture to emergency services and environmental monitoring—the potential benefits to Australia are significant. To help realise these benefits, AAUS is committed to showcasing and supporting drone operators who uphold the highest standards of safety, professionalism, and ethical conduct. Recognising the growing demand for trusted drone service providers, AAUS has developed an Accreditation Program for the Drone Industry—a practical, industry-led initiative designed to highlight and promote organisations who demonstrate excellence in their RPAS operations. The program aims to:
Through accreditation, AAUS is helping to build a future where the drone industry is not only innovative and dynamic, but also safe, respected, and valued by the wider community. |
BENEFITS |
The AAUS Drone Industry Accreditation Program offers a range of practical and professional advantages for participating organisations:
The AAUS Drone Industry Accreditation Program will be provided to AAUS members only (at no additional cost). |
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ACCREDITATION FRAMEWORK |
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COMMITMENT TO SAFETY |
Safety is the cornerstone of a sustainable and respected drone industry. The AAUS Accreditation Program places safety at the heart of professional drone operations, recognising that a strong safety culture is critical to building trust with the public, industry clients, and regulators. By committing to safety, accredited organisations go beyond basic regulatory compliance. They demonstrate a proactive approach to risk management, operational integrity, and continuous improvement. This means implementing robust safety management systems, encouraging open reporting of incidents and near-misses, and regularly reviewing procedures to reflect evolving best practice. Safety is not a one-time checklist—it is a mindset. Through ongoing training, engagement with safety data, and collaboration with staff, accredited operators foster environments where safety is shared responsibility, not an individual burden. To maintain accreditation through a commitment to safety, participating organisations will earn points via a Continuous Professional Development (CPD) approach. Points will be allocated for a range of proactive safety management system activities. |
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COMMITMENT TO LEARNING |
To maintain accreditation and support a culture of ongoing learning and improvement, participating organisations will engage in a structured CPD framework. Points will be allocated for a range of professional development activities, including:
Staff attending approved workshops, webinars, industry forums, or conferences will earn CPD points toward the organisation’s accreditation status.
Participating organisations will have the option of earning points via delivery of their own internal training. |
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COMMITMENT TO SOCIAL LICENSE |
Social license refers to the ongoing acceptance, trust and approval granted by the public and community for an industry or activity to operate. For the Australian drone industry, social license is not just a "nice to have"—it is a critical enabler of long-term growth, access to airspace, and industry reputation. As drones become increasingly visible in everyday life—used for deliveries, infrastructure inspections, agriculture, public safety, and more—the way the public perceives these operations will directly influence how freely and widely the technology can be adopted. Without social license, the industry risks:
By contrast, earning and maintaining social license helps:
Operators who fly responsibly, respect privacy, engage openly with the public, and follow ethical guidelines don’t just meet expectations—they set the standard for the entire sector. Accredited organisations must adopt and actively apply the AAUS Code of Conduct, including provisions on:
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