New Delhi: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) India and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) on July 5 signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to work together in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and innovative air mobility areas and foster growth and development.
With focus on collaboration on unmanned aircraft and innovative air mobility between the two civil aviation authorities, the MoU facilitates cooperation between the two organisations in the areas of development of certification standards, environmental standards, related requirements for the certification, use of unmanned aircraft system, innovative air mobility operations which includes licensing of personnel, training, air traffic management and infrastructure, including Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management (UTM) standards and services.
The agreement will also ensure regular information sharing between the two authorities on the technological developments and research in this area and also their respective strategies for outreach to relevant stakeholders. . Additionally, the agreement promotes joint efforts in organising conferences, workshops, and training programmes by both DGCA and EASA in the area of unmanned aircraft systems and innovative air mobility.
The signing of this MoU is a significant step towards harmonising standards and making progress in India’s unmanned aviation sector. By aligning their efforts and sharing expertise, India and the European Union aim to accelerate the growth of this critical industry.
In April, the groundwork for this agreement was laid during EU-India Aviation Summit held in New Delhi. At the summit, the DGCA and EASA had signed a letter of intent focused on unmanned aircraft systems and innovative air mobility.
