The Reference Materials, jointly developed by 24 Asia-Pacific States and Administrations, will help reduce regulatory cost and risk to investments, support industry development and accelerate safe adoption.
Twenty-four Asia-Pacific States and Administrations have jointly developed a set of Reference Materials on advanced air mobility (AAM) for civil aviation authorities in the Asia-Pacific region to facilitate operations of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). The list of States and Administrations is attached at Annex A. The Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand is requesting that industry feedback be passed to the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) on the Reference Materials, from receipt, up to 23 April 2025 before its adoption and publication in July 2025. The feedback received will be considered in the finalisation of the Reference Materials.
The Reference Materials covers six key areas for eVTOL aircraft, namely: a) certification, validation, and acceptance of eVTOL aircraft; b) regulations for eVTOL aircraft Entry into Service (EIS); c) cooperation among national agencies; d) economic policies and regulation; e) capability building and f) social acceptance; and two areas of UAS, namely: i) technical guidance for implementation of Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) UAS operations; and ii) capability building (personnel training). The Reference Materials bring together the knowledge and best practices of the participating States and Administrations, to support the timely development of fit-for-purpose regulations for these emerging technologies and facilitate alignment and streamline regulatory processes across States of Design including Brazil, China, the European Union, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States of America, States of Registry, States of the Operator and States of the Aerodrome within the Asia-Pacific region.
For regulators, the Reference Materials will help them develop regulations that keep pace with the rapid development and deployment of new technologies to leverage their benefits for economies and societies, while ensuring aviation and public safety and security. For industry, the Reference Materials will facilitate technology development and adoption, support industry development and reduce regulatory uncertainty, cost and risk to investments in eVTOL aircraft and UAS.
eVTOL aircraft and UAS have seen rapid growth and wide application around the world in the last few years. This is the first time regulators have come together to jointly develop a set of Reference Materials which regulators can consider, adapt, and use to prepare for and facilitate commercial operations of eVTOL aircraft and UAS, in their respective States and Administrations, with Asia-Pacific as the first region to do so.
The development of the Reference Materials was an outcome of the inaugural Meeting of Asia-Pacific Regulators on AAM and UAS convened and hosted by CAAS in Singapore in November 2023. An overview of the Reference Materials is attached at Annex B. The draft Reference Materials for industry are attached at Annex C.
We welcome valuable insights from industry. Interested eVTOL aircraft and UAS companies (manufacturers, operators, and infrastructure developers) and institutes who wish to find out more about the consultation or provide feedback on the Reference Materials may write to the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS): CAAS_USG@caa.govt.sg.
Note from CAA NZ: This media release has been prepared by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and is an internationally coordinated effort with civil aviation authorities in the Asia-Pacific. CAA NZ is sharing this information to our sector and provide the opportunity for feedback. For any questions regarding the content of the release, please refer to CAA Singapore.
Annex A List of 24 Asia Pacific States and Administrations [PDF 230 KB]
