‘Although innovation is a priority, safety is paramount’: DGCA India
India’s urban air mobility landscape is undergoing some rapid developments since the last few days. In a first Bengaluru based Sarla aviation unveiled its first eVTOL prototype Shunya and just a day later the ePlane Company received DGCA certification for its eVTOL e200x. India’s leading charter company JetSetGo has signed deals with SkyDrive and EVE Air Mobility to develop and deploy air taxis in India.
In a country with so many UAM developments, it was only a matter a time since Directorae General of civil aviation (DGCA India) upped its game. The regulator is actively engaged with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) to develop a regulatory framework for advanced air mobility, emphasizing safety. As a part of the initiative, DGVA has established six working groups focusing on various technical and regulatory aspects to integrate new technologies safely into national airspace, particularly focusing on electric Vertical Take Off Landing (eVTOL) aircraft. Reports from two of these groups, addressing vertiports and eVTOL certification, were made public last year.
Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, DGCA chief emphasized that while innovation is a priority, safety remains paramount.
During the recently held International Conference on Air Mobility, Kidwai highlighted challenges, including stakeholder collaboration, creating new regulations, and integrating unmanned traffic management with traditional systems while addressing infrastructural needs, aligning new rules with international standards, ensuring technical feasibility. “These hurdles must be addressed to ensure safe and efficient advancements in air mobility,” Kidwai said.
Some of the other challenges facing the UAM sector are:
- Establishing aerospace corridors
- Integrating unmanned traffic management with existing air traffic systems
- Public, social, and environmental impacts of air taxis
The DGCA's initiatives reflects a commitment to safely integrating advanced air mobility technologies into existing frameworks.