Airbus partners with European and Asian aviation bodies on rules for urban drones

TRIPARTITE: Airbus is one of the biggest manufacturers of aircraft in the world

The development of safety regulations concerning unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in urban environments has brought together The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and Airbus. The document they have all signed sets up the standards and requirements for the use of drones. 

The three bodies have agreed to exchange information and technical expertise to facilitate the development of safety standards and rules.

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.”

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.”

The parties will also share safety information and learning outcomes from urban UAS trials, which will lead to jointly organised UAS-themed activities such as educational workshops and seminars.

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.”