24 April 2025
Who does this notice affect?
Airlines, aircraft operators and their contracted services (third parties) performing or certifying disinsection treatments applied to aircraft cabin and hold for aircraft arriving in Australia and New Zealand.
What has changed?
Airlines and aircraft operators are reminded to review the Schedule of Aircraft Disinsection Procedures for Flights into Australia and New Zealand (V 5.3) (the Schedule) for a detailed understanding of the disinsection requirements for both the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) and the New Zealand Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI). This includes the mandatory use of the correct and current disinsection certificates.
As advised through Industry Advice Notice 37-2024, disinsection treatment certificate requirements are outlined in chapters 1 to 3 of the Schedule for the respective disinsection methods. The current disinsection certificate templates are located in Appendices A to C of the Schedule. These certificates must be used for all Australia and New Zealand flights instead of the WHO/ICAO certificates.
Please ensure all disinsection certificates are updated to the most recent templates.
Airlines and aircraft operators must ensure that by the 30 June 2025 they are using the current disinsection certification. After this date, old disinsection certificates or externally provided certificates will not be accepted by DAFF.
Failure to use the current disinsection certification may result in delays and the aircraft may be subject to biosecurity controls (negative pratique). A biosecurity officer will attend the aircraft to assess its disinsection status and any other human health risks.
Non-compliant arrivals
If aircraft disinsection treatment applied after the 30 June 2025 is incorrectly certified, and a biosecurity officer is unable to verify the disinsection status of an aircraft arriving in Australian territory, the aircraft will be subject to negative pratique restrictions and controls. An On-Arrival Disinsection treatment will be applied. The airline crew is responsible for facilitating the biosecurity officer to board the aircraft and manage the risk.
Where possible, biosecurity officers will remain on board the aircraft to supervise the On-Arrival disinsection treatment. A fee for service charge will be incurred by airline operators for non-compliant flights arriving in Australian territory.
Further information
For general enquiries or enquiries relating to arriving aircraft, please contact the department on 1800 900 090 or Conveyance.Aircraft@aff.gov.au.