Murzilli Consulting’s regulatory newsletter for the latest in UAS, eVTOL & Advanced Air Mobility regulation (AAM/IAM) updates.
EASA’s Executive Director Florian Guillermet and EUROCONTROL’s Director General Raúl Medina have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) to maintain the organisation’s shared commitment towards the highest level of the European aviation sector’s safety, efficiency and sustainability.
Two important contributors towards this initiative are the EASA-EUROCONTROL Joint Work Programme and the EASA_EUROCONTROL Technical & Coordination Office (TeCO). They have worked on the following departments towards the collective mission:
🔸Aviation Sustainability
🔸European Air Traffic Management / Air Navigation Services (ATM/ANS)
🔸Rules, Specifications and Standards at a Global Level
🔸Support to Stakeholders
🔸Production and Analysis of ATM/ANS Safety Intelligence
This MoC will replace the 2021 version and includes four new areas of cooperation:
Training - courses by EUROCONTROL and EASA to ensure effective implementation of EASA rules and the ongoing evolution of the regulatory landscape.
Cybersecurity - cyber-events and incidents related to aviation safety will be shared, as well as new technology’s influence on cybersecurity. ‘Tabletop’ exercises will also be provided to maintain the highest safety levels.
Research & Innovation - joint research and innovation activities will be developed to support the safety and sustainability of European aviation.
Communication, Navigation & Surveillance (CNS) - modernising Europe’s CNS structure through cooperation allow's EASA to prepare the relevant certification and oversight aspects, which supports the CNS Programme Manager’s role within the EUROCONTROL Network Manager.
EASA has published an example Operations Manual (OM) for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) operations performed by a UAS operator under the Predefined Risk Assessment S01 (PDRA S01).
The document was developed as a structuring aid to provide guidance on how proofs could be implemented for UAS operators when describing their UAS operations.
The example notes that it is mandatory under Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947 for UAS operators to submit an OM when applying for a flight operation authorisation in the specific category after submitting the PDRA. While the example can be used as a template, it cannot be submitted in its original state. UAS operators are required to adapt it accordingly to their operation specifics.
The NAA where the UAS operator is registered is responsible for evaluating all submitted documentation for approval.
The FAA announced that they will open the application process to become a drone airspace service supplier for the Low Altitude Authorisation and Notification Capability (LAANC) on May 1, 2024.
LAANC is a collaboration between the FAA and the pending FAA-approved UAS Service Providers (USS) that automates the approval process and enables safe drone integration into US airspace.
These are the dates for the application process:
🔸 Application Period (05/01– 05/31)
🔸 FAA Submission Review (06/03– 07/05)
🔸Technical Interviews (07/08– 08/09)
🔸Formal Testing (08/12– 10/11)
🔸LAANC Go-Live (10/14– 11/13)
Interested parties must apply with a mature product and can find a more detailed description of the application process via the FAA official website.
The FAA has accepted AVSS’s revision 5.0 of the “Means of Compliance for Small Unmanned Aircraft (sUA) Category 2 and 3 Operations Over Human Beings”.
To be considered for compliance, the sUA is required to be designed, produced, or modified to:
🔸Not cause injury to a human being above a specified severity limit
🔸Not have exposed rotating parts that could cause skin lacerations
🔸Not contain any safety defects
While the MoC has been accepted, the document also states that this is not the only acceptable Means of Compliance. Applicants wishing to propose an alternative MoC, can submit to the FAA for review with the possibility of acceptance.
Any revisions made to AVSS’s revision 5.0 are required to be examined and accepted by the FAA before the revised version of the MoC can be accepted.
Interested parties are encouraged to contact Kimberly Lu at the FAA or Josh Ogden at AVSS for more information.
The European Commission approved an implementing regulation package for drones, air taxis and vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capable aircraft. This was the last regulation required to launch IAM, including air taxi services, in the EU’s member states. It will introduce EU-wide airworthiness certification requirements and procedures for crewed and uncrewed VTOL aircraft.
The regulation is based on EASA’s proposed Opinion No 03/2023 and includes:
🔸Piloted VCA
- Requirements for an air taxi pilot licence covering:
- Rules on integration into airspace
- Rules to enable the specified aircraft to perform emergency medical and rescue operations
🔸UAS:
- Subject to certification
- Those which operate within the specific category with an airworthiness certificate
The implementing and delegated regulations of this package are expected to be published shortly in the Official Journal of the European Union.
EASA has published a webpage which contains all application documentation for drones in the specific category.
The forms have been categorised as follows:
🔸Operational Authorisation
🔸Standard Scenarios (STS)
🔸Operations in the specific category in a state different from the one of registration
🔸Design verification report
🔸Predefined Risk Assessment (PDRA)
🔸Declaration of Compliance
Users can access the page for additional information regarding the applications as well as EASA’s drone contact support page. More dedicated pages are expected to follow soon.
The consolidated document containing rules and procedures for UAS operations, covering Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947, the related acceptable means of compliance (AMC) and guidance material (GM), and Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/945 was revised as of April 2024.
The revisions included additional AMC and GM developments which:
🔸Clarified the method for assessing the design of UAS operated in the ‘specific’ category
🔸Expanded the applicability of Predefined Risk Assessment for Standard Scenario 01 (PDRA-S01) to agricultural operations
🔸Addressed the authorisation process for free flight balloons
The living document will be updated regularly to include any additional developments to the implementing regulations, delegated regulations, AMC and GM.
EASA advises that comments and feedback be issued via the Easy Access Rules area on their contact us form.
The European Commission and EASA are closely monitoring the developments in the Middle East and the closure of the affected airspace (Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Iran), following the increased military exchanges between Iran and Israel earlier this month.
EASA is in contact with all relevant Civil Aviation Authorities for the aforementioned areas and will continue to observe the situation using the EU Conflict Zone Alerting mechanism to determine if there are any advancing safety risks for EU aircraft operators.
EASA currently has the following risk mitigation instruments in place for the relevant airspaces:
🔸Informative notes concerning:
- Israel and its neighbouring airspace of up to 100 NM, providing information to air operators on the remaining risks and additional airspaces affected.
- Iran, recommending operators exercise caution and follow all aeronautical publications and updates from the European Information Sharing and Cooperation Platform. Currently there is an increased potential for miscalculation and/or misidentification over FIR Tehran.
🔸Conflict Zone Information Bulletins (CZIBs) on:
- Iraq, recommending not to conduct flights below FL 320 within FIR Baghdad
- Syria, recommending no overflights at any altitude of FIR Damascus
EASA has published an article detailing the importance of AI within the aviation sector.
Building from their living document, the Artificial Intelligence Roadmap, first published in 2020, EASA details their commitment to benefiting the aviation industry using AI while maintaining safety and environmental standards.
The article outlines the following departments and how AI can benefit:
🔸Flight operations
🔸Maintenance
🔸Environment
🔸Air traffic management
🔸Airports
🔸Drones and innovative air mobility
🔸Cybersecurity
🔸Safety Risk Management
Did we miss any news about drone regulations? Write to us, and we’ll add it to next month’s edition!
Follow Murzilli Consulting on LinkedIn for more information about upcoming drone regulations.
See you in the skies and beyond,
Team Murzilli
