The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) published rules for the operation of air taxis in cities.

This proposed new regulatory framework is the first of this kind of EU drone regulation globally and is open to public consultation until September 30, 2022. It covers airworthiness, air operations, flight crew licenses, and air rules.

Due to the increasing relevance of drones and VTOL aircraft, it is necessary to develop regulations covering their operations that must be safely integrated with the rest of air traffic.

UAS traffic is integrated with the airspace through the U-space concept, which aims to incorporate manned and unmanned aviation. This regulatory framework complements the already existing regulation for UAS operations and answers society’s concerns such as safety, security, environmental protection, privacy, noise, etc.

A set of amended regulations is needed to implement UAM (Urban Air Mobility) in the Member States and to build citizens’ trust in the UAM operations carried out with UAS and other unmanned aircraft to transport people and goods. As mentioned before, one of the most important aspects to consider is safety, so the objective is to create the conditions for the safe operation of UAS and manned VTOL-capable aircraft to protect the people and wildlife.

This regulatory framework complements the existing EU drone regulations 2019/947, 2019/945, and 2021/664 and provides a harmonized set of regulations and rules at the European level. It also enhances clarity, fills the gaps, and removes inconsistencies, fostering and creating rules that enable the development of the UAS market.

Resource:EASA

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