A three-way collaboration is in the works to help advance the safety of unmanned aircraft systems in urban environments. The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and Airbus have agreed to collaborate, in hopes of developing a safety standard, and regulatory requirements for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in urban environments. Also involved in this, is The tripartite Project Document, which comprises the key components of this collaboration signed by all three representatives from CAAS, EASA and Airbus.
The Project Document establishes a framework for the exchange of information and technical expertise among the three parties, to facilitate the development of safety standards and regulatory requirements, as well as operational and technological assessments for the deployment of UAS in urban environments, such as last-mile deliveries, leveraging Airbus’ experience with the ongoing Skyways project*. The parties will also share safety information and learning outcomes from the urban UAS trials. The parties also agreed to jointly organise UAS-themed activities such as educational workshops and seminars.
Mr Kevin Shum, Director-General at CAAS said, “This tripartite partnership is timely as we seek to better define the operating conditions for the growing number of beneficial uses of UAS in urban environments such as Singapore, with aviation and public safety in mind. We look forward to working closely with our partners and sharing our experience gained thus far in developing regulatory requirements for UAS operations in Singapore.”
Mr Patrick Ky, Executive Director at EASA said, “Unmanned Aircraft Systems used in urban environments will shape the future of public transport. We could not find better partners than CAAS and Airbus to develop safety standards for this growing and fascinating technological development.”
Mr Jean-Brice Dumont, Executive Vice President, Engineering at Airbus said, “Airbus has been growing our focus on autonomous air mobility, and this tripartite collaboration is a positive move to shape up the safety regulations of UAS in city environments, turning urban air mobility into a business reality for us. Today, our Skyways UAS has demonstrated its ability to deliver air packages in an urban city. With the strong support of both CAAS and EASA, coupled with our experiences from Skyways, we are confident that safe and reliable urban air delivery will become a reality very soon.”
The Skyways Project is an experimentation which aims to establish seamless multi-modal transportation networks in smart cities. Through Skyways, Airbus aims to develop an airborne infrastructure solution to address the sustainability and efficiency of parcel delivery businesses in large urban environments.
The mission of the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) is to grow a safe, vibrant air hub and civil aviation system, making a key contribution to Singapore’s success. CAAS’ roles are to oversee and promote safety in the aviation industry, develop the air hub and aviation industry, provide air navigation services, provide aviation training for human resource development, and contribute to the development of international civil aviation.
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is the centrepiece of the European Union’s strategy for aviation safety. EASA’s mission is to promote and achieve the highest common standards of safety and environmental protection in civil aviation. Based in Cologne, the Agency currently employs more than 750 experts and administrators from all over Europe.
Airbus is a global leader in aeronautics, space and related services. In 2017 it generated revenues of €59 billion restated for IFRS 15 and employed a workforce of around 129,000. Airbus offers the most comprehensive range of passenger airliners from 100 to more than 600 seats. Airbus is also a European leader providing tanker, combat, transport and mission aircraft, as well as one of the world’s leading space companies. In helicopters, Airbus provides the most efficient civil and military rotorcraft solutions worldwide.
