An unmanned aircraft systems flying in sky. Credit: mau.photo.

Airbus has agreed to partner with Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to develop safety and regulatory standards for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in urban environments.

The tripartite Project Document, which lays out the areas of collaboration, was signed by representatives from CAAS, EASA and Airbus.

It also outlines a framework for the parties to share information and technical expertise to support the operational and technological assessments for the deployment of UAS in urban environments, including last-mile deliveries, utilising Airbus’ experience from the ongoing Skyways project.

Skyways is an experimental project that intends to establish multi-modal transportation networks in smart cities with a special focus on the parcel delivery businesses.

The tripartite deal will allow the partners to exchange safety information and learning outcomes from the urban UAS trials.

“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 partners will also organise various UAS-themed activities including educational workshops and seminars.

Airbus Engineering executive vice-president Jean-Brice Dumont 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.”

EASA also believes that the use of UAS in urban environments will shape the future of public transport.

CAAS also intends to share experience gained in the development of regulatory requirements for UAS operations in Singapore.