The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) classifies General Aviation (GA) as covering a range of operations that are not commercial air transport services. This includes aerial work (such as agriculture, photography, surveying, search and rescue), instructional flying and recreational flying.
General Aviation Advisory Network
The General Aviation Advisory Network (GAAN) was announced by the Australian Government in October 2016 to provide advice to the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport on matters affecting the General Aviation (GA) sector.
The GAAN also operates as a forum where industry representatives can identify opportunities to work collaboratively to respond to pressures, trends and issues facing the GA sector; and make a positive contribution to assist in the development of GA policy.
The GAAN is comprised of thirteen members appointed by the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport Regional Development and Local Government for their skills, experience, expertise and representation of subsectors within the GA sector, their cultural diversity, and to ensure the representation of regional areas. Members represent subsectors including training, manufacturing, maintenance, sport and recreation, rotorcraft and fixed wing aircraft, aerial application, remotely piloted aircraft systems and medical operations.
General Aviation Strategy 2024
The GAAN published its original Strategy for the Australian General Aviation Sector in 2020. In 2024, the GAAN agreed to an updated Strategy reflecting the evolving GA environment and the progress that has been made in recent years.
The 2024 Strategy outlines the current goals of the GAAN, which include:
- Achieving and maintaining world standard levels of safety and commensurate with sector risk.
- Delivering increased economic, environmental and social benefits to citizens in Australia.
- Achieving and maintaining sustainable economic growth within the General aviation sector.
- Building and developing resilience in the sector to ensure its future sustainability.
- Being innovative and supporting innovation by others in technology, practices and operating models that support complementary strategic goals.
- Working closely and collegiately with Government, community and sector stakeholders to foster shared and collaborative safety regulation to support complementary strategic goals.
Economic measures of general aviation in Australia
The Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics report, Economic measures of general aviation in Australia was published on 4 September 2025.
The report arose through calls by the general aviation community for data to quantify the sector's contribution to the Australian economy, as part of efforts to seek support to ensure the sustainability and viability of general aviation in Australia. The final report has been consulted extensively with the General Aviation Advisory Network (GAAN).
The report estimates that in 2018–19 general aviation directly generated between $3.6 billion and $10.2 billion to the Australian economy (in 2022–23 dollars).