The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and its regional counterparts have begun collaboration on a framework for safety rules and standards to regulate air taxi and drone operations. The authorities of the region met on November 9 to develop a set of regulatory reference materials by 2025 that each country can adapt and adopt to govern the emerging sectors.
The inaugural meeting, organised by CAAS, was attended by representatives from 17 civil aviation authorities in the Asia-Pacific region, including delegates from China and Japan, 24 private-sector institutes, and companies such as Skyports Infrastructure and Vertical Aerospace.
The civil aviation authorities agreed that the two priority areas for drones are technical guidance and personnel training.
For air taxis, the authorities agreed on six priority areas, including certification, collaboration between a country’s national agencies, and public education to promote this new form of air transport.
Collaboration among the regulators will allow CAAS to understand how risks are mitigated for air taxi operations, and to apply this information to regulatory requirements for Singapore.
