New safety guidelines for air taxis, drones developed by CAAS, other Asia-Pacific authorities

SINGAPORE – A set of guidelines on the future use of air taxis and drones has been developed by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and 23 regional counterparts, including China, India and Japan.

The reference materials on electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft such as air taxis and unmanned aircraft systems, or drones, were released on April 2.

CAAS is seeking industry feedback on the guidelines, which cover everything from the certification and validation of such eVTOL aircraft to the regulation of air taxis.

For example, regulations will be crucial to the integration of eVTOL aircraft into existing airspace systems, including possible new flight paths, altitude restrictions and communication protocols with air traffic controllers. In highly urbanised Singapore, CAAS’ focus will be on how to integrate new users of airspace – such as air taxis – with “conventional users”, CAAS director-general Han Kok Juan said at a media briefing at Changi Airport on April 2.

“Our focus… is to allow Singapore to be able to leverage technology safely”, given the challenges of limited airspace in an urban environment, Mr Han said. He added: “We are a small country. We are also very highly urbanised, with a very congested airspace. That is the local context that we have to take into account when we assess any application, if we do receive one, on air taxi use.”

When pressed on how far into the future air taxis are, Mr Han said: “I think it’s early days.”

Mr Han said it would take time to put regulations into force, and to develop the capabilities needed to evaluate and assess applications from eVTOL companies.

CAAS chief technology officer Tan Kah Han pointed out that it is also a question of commercial viability, which is a question for companies.

There is no Singapore-based eVTOL aircraft company. In 2023, German firm Volocopter put its air taxi operations in Singapore on hold indefinitely as it could not secure enough funding.

It filed for insolvency in 2024,

citing its inability to raise new funds to maintain regular operations.

The release of the reference materials comes at a time of rapid growth in the advanced air mobility industry. There has been “a very rapid pace of development over the last few years, powered by advancements in technology, in electrification, autonomy and digital systems”, Mr Han said.

Companies are also investing heavily in eVTOL and drone technology. The global drone sector is projected to be worth about $73 billion by 2030, up from $40 billion in 2024, Mr Han said. Meanwhile, the global eVTOL aircraft industry is expected to be worth about $30 billion by 2030, five times the $6 billion it was worth in 2024.

There are three major uses of eVTOL aircraft, Mr Han said.

They could be used in the “low-altitude economy” – typically below 1,000m – to boost productivity and worker safety, and enable rapid service delivery, from the delivery of packages to search-and-rescue operations.

Such aircraft could also connect airports to city centres, with particular benefits to cities with heavy traffic, as well as connect islands within or across countries. This could be a cheaper alternative to conventional aviation, as it costs a lot more to build a runway, Mr Han said.

The development of the reference materials is an important step as eVTOL aircraft technology needs to be regulated “to ensure aviation and public safety and security”, Mr Han said. It is up to each country to adapt and adopt the reference materials to govern their emerging air taxi and drone sectors.

While developing the reference materials, the civil aviation authorities agreed on six priority areas for eVTOL aircraft, including certification, collaboration between a country’s national agencies, and personnel training.

For instance, the group had to review existing aircraft regulations to identify gaps and requirements unique to eVTOL aircraft.

They worked to “identify and mitigate hazards and risks introduced by novel eVTOL aircraft technology and operations”, according to the 180-page reference materials. These hazards and risks include aircraft certification and maintenance, pilot licensing and training, supporting infrastructure, airspace integration, noise and environmental impact, and aviation security. For drones, the reference materials focused on technical guidance and personnel training.

Mr Tan said that drones are already deployed in a wide range of commercial applications, including infrastructure inspections, surveillance and delivery.

However, as the technology has grown, so has demand for more complex operations, said Mr Tan, who is also senior director of CAAS’ Unmanned Systems Group.

The reference materials set out considerations for facilitating these complex drone operations, including beyond-visual-line-of-sight operations. This refers to drone flight operations beyond the pilot’s direct visual range, requiring advanced technologies for navigation and communication.

Noting that technological developments in the eVTOL and drone space are happening quickly, Mr Han said regulators “have to keep pace with the development and be quite nimble and agile to adjust our approach accordingly”.

He said the development of the reference materials is “not a one-off exercise”. CAAS and its regional counterparts have agreed to review and update the materials even as the industry evolves, he added.

CAAS is collecting feedback from the industry, including eVTOL and drone manufacturers and operators, and infrastructure developers, from April 2 to 23. The reference materials will be published in July and submitted to the United Nations’ International Civil Aviation Organisation in September.

In China, regulators for the first time have granted approvals for two companies to operate autonomous passenger drones. The country has taken steps in recent months to accelerate the development of the low-altitude economy, which it has identified as a crucial emerging industry and driver of economic growth.