CAAS partners European safety regulator and Airbus to develop standards for unmanned aircraft systems

[SINGAPORE] The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and Airbus have agreed to collaborate in the development of safety standards and regulatory requirements for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in urban environments.

The partnership was sealed with the signing of a Project Document, which lays out the areas of collaboration, said the CAAS on Thursday.

It 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.

CAAS will also work with EASA and Airbus to jointly organise UAS-themed activities such as educational workshops and seminars.

Kevin Shum, CAAS director-general, 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."

Mr Patrick Ky, executive director at EASA, noted that UAS used in urban environments "will shape the future of public transport".

Already Airbus is working on a UAS project called the Skyways Project which looks at parcel deliveries in large urban environments.

Executive vice-president (engineering) at Airbus, Jean-Brice Dumont said: "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 STRAITS TIMES