India, EU Ink Pact To Collaborate On Unmanned Aircraft Systems And Innovative Air Mobility

India and the European Union (EU) have inked a pact for cooperation in Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Innovative Air Mobility. 

The pact, signed between India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), will focus on collaboration on unmanned aircraft and innovative air mobility between the two civil aviation authorities.

Earlier on 20 April this year, DGCA had signed a letter of intent (LoI) on Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Innovative Air Mobility with the EASA during EU-India Aviation Summit held in New Delhi.

"This collaboration would include cooperation between DGCA and EASA in the areas of development of certification standards and environmental standards and related requirements for the certification and use of unmanned aircraft systems and 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 Ministry of Civil Aviation said in a statement on Wednesday (5 July).

According to the ministry, the MoU 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.

Further, the MoU will result in collaboration in conducting conferences, workshops, training programmers by DGCA and EASA in this area, it added.

The ministry expects that the signing of this MoU will result in harmonised standards and accelerated growth of Indian unmanned aviation sector.