diff --git a/.github/workflows/main.yml b/.github/workflows/main.yml
index 74d40be..3fc0990 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/main.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/main.yml
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Build wheels
         uses: pypa/cibuildwheel@v2.22.0
         env:
-          CIBW_BUILD: cp38-win_amd64
+          CIBW_BUILD: cp39-win_amd64
 
       - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
         with:
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ jobs:
     strategy:
       matrix:
         version:
-          - {os: windows-2019, python: '3.8'}
+          - {os: windows-2019, python: '3.9'}
           - {os: windows-2022, python: '3.10'}
     steps:
       - name: Clone repository
diff --git a/CHANGES.md b/CHANGES.md
index f9601c0..73fff0e 100644
--- a/CHANGES.md
+++ b/CHANGES.md
@@ -1,10 +1,16 @@
 # Release notes
+
+UP Fast Downward 0.5.0
+- use Fast Downward 24.06
+- replace internal usage of deprecated package pkg_resources
+- require Python >= 3.9
+
 UP Fast Downward 0.4.2
-- Update packaging (using pyproject.toml)
+- update packaging (using pyproject.toml)
 
 UP Fast Downward 0.4.1
-- Generate Python wheels compatible with Mac Apple Silicon M1/M2
-- Update README.md (current state of development and default configurations)
+- generate Python wheels compatible with Mac Apple Silicon M1/M2
+- update README.md (current state of development and default configurations)
 
 UP Fast Downward 0.4.0
 - fix bug in fast-downward-reachability grounder (number of parameters)
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 3907ae7..afac705 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -84,7 +84,9 @@ Details on the reachability analysis and the normalization can be found in Malte
 
 
 ## Current state of the system and ongoing development
-
+- Fast Downward version: 2024.06
+    - since up-fast-downward 0.5.0: 2024.06
+    - up-fast-downward 0.3.x, 0.4.x: 2023.06
 - Default configuration
     - ```fast-downward``` engine: lama-first for One-Shot planning, seq-sat-lama-2011 for Anytime planning
     - ```fast-downward-opt``` engine: A* search with LMCut heuristic
diff --git a/misc/tox.ini b/misc/tox.ini
index a1c9d16..ece06d2 100644
--- a/misc/tox.ini
+++ b/misc/tox.ini
@@ -10,6 +10,6 @@ changedir = {toxinidir}/tests/
 deps =
   pytest
   up-fast-downward
-  unified-planning >= 1.0.0.168.dev1
+  unified-planning >= 1.1.0
 commands =
   pytest test-simple.py
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index df3e4ce..37e1eaa 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 [project]
 name = "up_fast_downward"
-version = "0.4.2"
+version = "0.5.0"
 description = "Unified Planning Integration of the Fast Downward planning system"
 readme = {text = "This package makes the [Fast Downward](https://www.fast-downward.org/) planning system available in the [unified_planning library](https://github.com/aiplan4eu/unified-planning).", content-type = "text/markdown"}
-requires-python = ">=3.8"
+requires-python = ">=3.9"
 license = {text = "GPL-3.0-only"}
 authors = [
     {name = "UNIBAS Team"},
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ maintainers = [
 ]
 dependencies = ["setuptools>=59.6.0"]
 classifiers = [
-    "Development Status :: 4 - Beta",
+    "Development Status :: 5 - Production/Stable",
     "License :: OSI Approved :: GNU General Public License v3 (GPLv3)",
     "Programming Language :: Python :: 3",
     "Topic :: Scientific/Engineering :: Artificial Intelligence",
diff --git a/up_fast_downward/_custom_build.py b/up_fast_downward/_custom_build.py
index f1d94c5..e60da98 100644
--- a/up_fast_downward/_custom_build.py
+++ b/up_fast_downward/_custom_build.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 
 def clone_and_compile_fast_downward():
     FAST_DOWNWARD_REPO = 'https://github.com/aibasel/downward.git'
-    FAST_DOWNWARD_RELEASE = 'release-23.06'
+    FAST_DOWNWARD_RELEASE = 'release-24.06'
     #FAST_DOWNWARD_RELEASE = None
     # CHANGESET is ignored if release is not None
     FAST_DOWNWARD_CHANGESET = 'bd3c63647a42c9a5f103402615ca991d23a88d55'
diff --git a/up_fast_downward/fast_downward.py b/up_fast_downward/fast_downward.py
index 3bc9a85..57ae97b 100644
--- a/up_fast_downward/fast_downward.py
+++ b/up_fast_downward/fast_downward.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import pkg_resources
+import importlib.resources
 import sys
 import unified_planning as up
 from typing import Callable, Iterator, IO, List, Optional, Tuple, Union
@@ -46,15 +46,20 @@ def __init__(
         self._guarantee_metrics_task = ResultStatus.SOLVED_SATISFICING
 
     def _base_cmd(self, plan_filename: str):
-        downward = pkg_resources.resource_filename(
-            __name__, "downward/fast-downward.py"
-        )
-        assert sys.executable, "Path to interpreter could not be found"
-        cmd = [sys.executable, downward, "--plan-file", plan_filename]
-        if self._fd_search_time_limit is not None:
-            cmd += ["--search-time-limit", self._fd_search_time_limit]
-        cmd += ["--log-level", self._log_level]
-        return cmd
+        loc = "downward/fast-downward.py"
+        downward_res = importlib.resources.files("up_fast_downward").joinpath(loc)
+        with importlib.resources.as_file(downward_res) as downward:
+            # This will clean up any temporary files created for accessing
+            # downward once we leave the with statement. Since the resource is
+            # not packed into a zip file or anything, this should be save
+            # enough. Otherwise, we need to explore an atexit handler:
+            # cf https://importlib-resources.readthedocs.io/en/latest/migration.html
+            assert sys.executable, "Path to interpreter could not be found"
+            cmd = [sys.executable, downward, "--plan-file", plan_filename]
+            if self._fd_search_time_limit is not None:
+                cmd += ["--search-time-limit", self._fd_search_time_limit]
+            cmd += ["--log-level", self._log_level]
+            return cmd
 
     def _get_cmd(
         self, domain_filename: str, problem_filename: str, plan_filename: str