Airbus and CAAS sign MoU to bring urban air mobility in Singapore

Aerospace company Airbus and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) have partnered to introduce urban air mobility (UAM) in Singapore.

The parties have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) and will work closely to develop an initial UAM service.

The two entities will also co-operate on encouraging public acceptance and standards development, as well as forming safety frameworks.

They will also conduct research to implement UAM services in additional fields, including cargo and passenger transportation solutions.

Signed at the Singapore Airshow 2020, the UAM service MoU is expected to enhance regional connectivity in the country.

CAAS director-general Kevin Shum said: “CAAS supports the beneficial development of UAM. It fits within our Smart Nation vision, where we aim to take full advantage of technology to solve problems, address challenges, and develop Singapore into one of the most outstanding cities in the world to live in.

“That is why we seek to collaborate with businesses to push the boundaries of their applications. Such collaborations, including our longstanding CAAS-Airbus partnership, build Singapore’s capabilities and expertise to enable advanced UA applications, particularly in our urban environment.”

In 2016, Airbus and CAAS collaborated on the unmanned aircraft system (UAS) proof-of-concept trials (Skyways). The experimental project aims to develop safe unmanned air delivery systems for urban environments.

In 2018, the two parties partnered with the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to develop safety and regulatory standards for UAS in urban environments.

Skyways successfully completed proof-of-concept trials last year.