Carbonix says it is the first company in Australia to receive SAIL III certification for a drone, clearing a path to scalable long-range BVLOS operations.
Sydney-based autonomous aviation company Carbonix has become the first company in Australia to achieve Safety Assurance Integrity Level (SAIL) III drone certification, according to the company. Carbonix says the milestone, achieved in collaboration with the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), is also believed to be a world first for this class of aircraft.
What SAIL III drone certification covers
According to Carbonix, the SAIL III framework validates the maturity, reliability, and engineering assurance of the drone system itself, making the aircraft a known quantity from a risk perspective. The company says the framework forms part of an internationally recognised approach to autonomous aviation regulation designed to support increasingly sophisticated BVLOS operations.
Carbonix says the certification process required it to demonstrate the reliability of the aircraft structure and propulsion systems, the avionics and communications architecture, its manufacturing systems and supply chain, and its maintenance procedures and operational documentation.
Founder and CEO Dario Valenza said the milestone marked an important turning point for both Carbonix and the broader Australian drone sector. According to the company, the certification moves long-range drones closer to being treated like trusted aviation systems rather than experimental technology requiring repeated case-by-case approvals.
Surat Basin approvals unlock scaled operations
Following the certification, Carbonix says it received BVLOS operational approvals across the Surat Basin in southern Queensland, an area the company describes as roughly the size of Belgium (approximately 30,700 sq km / 11,850 sq mi). According to Carbonix, the approvals cover operations over gas gathering and pipeline networks for major energy customers.
The company says the approvals allow Carbonix to conduct large-scale long-range inspection and surveillance missions traditionally carried out by helicopters, light aircraft, and ground crews. Target sectors include mining, energy transmission, gas infrastructure, remote surveying, and critical infrastructure monitoring.
With the approvals in place, Carbonix says it can fully leverage the long-endurance and full-range capabilities of its Ottano platform across expansive remote environments. According to the company, this enables longer-duration missions, wider area coverage, and more efficient asset inspections with reduced reliance on crewed aviation and ground crews. Carbonix says maximising aircraft utilisation across extended corridors and remote networks improves operational efficiency and drives down inspection cost per kilometre.
Carbonix describes itself as a Sydney-based developer of long-range fixed-wing VTOL uncrewed aerial systems. According to the company, its aircraft can carry LiDAR, photogrammetry, ISR, and multi-spectral payloads and incorporate Starlink-enabled redundant communications for operations in isolated and infrastructure-poor regions.
More information is available at Carbonix.
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