DGCA, EASA join hands to propel unmanned aircraft systems, air mobility

New Delhi, July 5 With an aim at advancing in the field of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and innovative air mobility, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), a Civil Aviation Ministry official said on Wednesday.

The MoU was signed in Brussels on Tuesday.

In a statement, the Ministry said that 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 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 said.

"The signing of this MoU is expected to result in harmonized standards and accelerated growth of the Indian unmanned aviation sector."