SINGAPORE: Singapore is looking to become a base for air taxi companies to operate in, with the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) working closely with other regional authorities to prepare guidelines for the use of air taxis.
With the technology taking off around the world, Singapore initiated the first meeting of Asia-Pacific regulators on advanced aircraft mobility and unmanned aircraft systems on Thursday (Nov 9).
The meeting, which sought to foster collaboration and pool resources to mitigate risks, was attended by representatives from 17 civil aviation authorities from the region, including from China, India, Japan, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.
They aim to come up with a set of reference materials by 2025 that each country can adapt and use to govern air taxi and drone operations.
This comes as air taxis and drones are expected to transform the way people work, move and live.
In Europe, for instance, authorities are already working to certify air taxis safe to serve passengers at the Paris Olympics next year.
Air taxis are small aircraft that can make short flights.
COMING UP WITH GUIDELINES FOR AIR TAXI, DRONE OPERATIONS
CAAS director-general Han Kok Juan, who chaired the inaugural meeting, said regulators need to keep pace with technology to reap its full benefits, while ensuring security as well as public and aviation safety.
“This is challenging, given the novelty of the technology, the speed of development and adoption, and resource constraints and competing priorities,” he noted.
Some air taxi companies may want to use Singapore as a base “for them to set up business as well as to operate air taxis in and out of Singapore”, he added.
“Our collaboration with these other countries would allow us to better understand the requirements, and subsequently support such applications.”