10-11-2023 (SINGAPORE) The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and its counterparts across the Asia-Pacific region have initiated discussions on a comprehensive framework for safety regulations governing air taxi and drone operations.
The inaugural meeting, convened by CAAS, brought together representatives from 17 civil aviation authorities in the Asia-Pacific region, including notable participation from China and Japan. Additionally, 24 private-sector institutions and companies, such as Skyports Infrastructure and Vertical Aerospace, attended the session. The primary objective is to formulate a set of safety rules and standards that each country can adapt and implement to effectively regulate the evolving air taxi and drone sectors.
CAAS Director-General Han Kok Juan stressed the importance of regulatory collaboration to keep pace with advancing technology while ensuring security, public safety, and aviation safety. “This is not something that any one regulator can do on its own,” he emphasized.
The civil aviation authorities identified two key priority areas for drones: technical guidance and personnel training. For air taxis, six priority areas were agreed upon, encompassing certification processes, collaboration between national agencies, and public education initiatives to promote this novel form of air transport.
The collaborative effort among regulators aims to facilitate a comprehensive understanding of risk mitigation strategies for air taxi operations. CAAS intends to leverage this shared knowledge to inform and enhance regulatory requirements specific to Singapore, according to Mr. Han.
Air taxis, defined as small aircraft capable of vertical take-off and landing, are designed to transport passengers over short distances within a country. Several models have already received certification or are in the certification process in various countries. Notably, in October, Chinese startup EHang received approval for the operation of its fully autonomous, passenger-carrying air taxis. Meanwhile, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency is actively working on certifying Volocopter’s flying taxis, targeting completion by the start of the Paris Olympics in July 2024.
Volocopter, which previously announced plans to launch commercial air taxi flights in Singapore’s Marina Bay area by early- to mid-2024, has indicated that updates on this initiative will be provided by the end of November.
