DGCA signs pact with EU aviation safety agency on drones

livemint.com:

New Delhi: Indian aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation has signed a memorandum of understanding with the European aviation regulator European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) for cooperation in unmanned aircraft systems and innovative air mobility. This MoU will focus on collaboration on unmanned aircraft and innovative air mobility between the two civil aviation authorities, the regulator said.

This would include 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.

Further, this will result in collaboration in conducting conferences, workshops, training programmers by DGCA and EASA in the matter. The signing of this MoU is expected to result in harmonized standards and accelerated growth of Indian unmanned aviation sector, DGCA said.