The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate on urban air mobility to support the development, deployment and safe operation of vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft. The agreement was signed by Mr Han Kok Juan, Director-General of CAAS and Mr Luc Tytgat, Strategy and Safety Management Director, EASA on October 18, 2022, on the sidelines of the inaugural European Union–Asia Symposium on Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Urban Air Mobility.
Under the MOU, CAAS and EASA will collaborate in the following three areas:
Development of Regulatory Standards
Development of regulatory safety standards and related requirements for the certification and operation of VTOL aircraft, including the competencies of personnel involved in the operation of such aircraft, the certification requirements for operations in hot and humid environments and the requirements for personnel training organisations.
Outreach
Strategies for outreach to relevant stakeholders on urban air mobility including educational outreach to the public and the industry.
Analysis of public attitudes towards urban air mobility and VTOL as a mode of transport in an urban environment.
Conferences and Other Activities
Joint organisation of conferences, workshops, talks and other activities on urban air mobility.
The inaugural European Union–Asia Symposium on Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and Urban Air Mobility (UAM) will be held in Singapore from October 18 to 21, 2022, and attended by over 140 participants. Jointly organised by CAAS and EASA, this is the first time regulators from Europe and Asia-Pacific are coming together to discuss UAS and UAM regulation, alongside leading industry players and researchers. Over 20 civil aviation authorities from the two regions will participate in the four-day symposium to engage industry players and researchers, discuss UAS and VTOL development and regulations and undertake a field visit to the Maritime Drone Estate, to learn how Singapore facilitates the development of novel technology in a regulatory test-bed environment.
Mr Han Kok Juan, Director-General of CAAS said: “In the last few years, we have seen quantum leaps in UAS and UAM development. The potential benefits are tremendous. Realising them will require concomitant development in regulation and regulators need to keep pace with technology and business developments to assure safety and security and build public confidence and acceptance. As the technology is novel, we cannot do this alone but need to work together to share knowledge and pool regulatory resources. The CAAS-EASA MOU is a pathfinder to catalyse such partnerships.”
Mr Luc Tytgat, Strategy and Safety Management Director, EASA, said: “The CAAS-EASA MOU signed today provides us with a platform from which we can continue to develop our valued partnership and safely integrate electric air taxis into the aviation system. We know that traditionally regulators lag behind industry developments and innovations. Both this MOU and the wider symposium will contribute to regulators getting ahead of the technology curve in support of our future safety oversight responsibilities.”
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