Read our monthly regulatory newsletter for up-to-date drone, eVTOL and Advanced Airmobility regulations.
The paper from the JARUS Automation Work Group outlines previous developments in aviation automation concepts and highlights the complexities of automation in aircraft, airspace and air traffic services within an airspace environment.
The document aims to enable other JARUS work to make recommendations in operations, airworthiness and safety risk management as automation increases within the airspace environment.
The whitepaper addresses automation in the airspace environment from four perspectives:
🔸Flight rules: How they have evolved and the challenges for safe and efficient traffic management with increasing flight operation automation.
🔸Airspace structure: How it addresses current operations and how digitalisation and performance-based operations could potentially influence future airspace organisation.
🔸Infrastructure: How increasing automation of aerodromes and traffic management systems can allow safe interactions between airspace users and their operational systems.
🔸Technology maturity: This includes considerations of the introduction of maturing technology, such as trade-offs between the automation level, operational risk and the robustness of the technology.
It also encourages dialogue between JARUS work groups to help propose and approve future actions based on findings and to acknowledge broader implications for aviation safety.
The guidelines provide the UAS Community with the best practices and a source of materials that were collected by EASA and National Aviation Authorities (NAAs). These practices and materials offer guidance for drone operations in the open and specific categories while aligning with regulations (EU) 2019/945 and 2019/947.
The documents can be used as a reference for Member States and the UAS industry. It should be noted that these guidelines serve as reference material only, are not legally binding, and are not established as Guidance Material under Regulation (EU) 2018/1139.
The documents are intended to be used by the relevant authorities and operators to facilitate the application of drone regulatory frameworks. They should not be used to contradict or modify any of the existing regulations.
Additionally, EASA has published a number of guidance articles over the past few months for further reference:
🔸List of drones with class identification label and direct remote-id module compliant with Regulation 2019/945
🔸Means of Compliance (MoC) related to the SC-Light UAS Design verification report
🔸Placing a drone on the market with class identification label
🔸Drones Class 0: Basics and height limit of 120m
🔸Drone Open Category - Applicable requirements to fly from the 1st of January 2024
🔸Remote identification will become mandatory for drones across Europe
This Notice of Proposed Amendment (NPA) was created to establish an Acceptable Means of Compliance (AMC) and Guidance Material (GM) to support a regulatory framework to address innovative technologies such as VTOL-capable aircraft. The NPA is in alignment with Opinion No 03/2023 and suggests amendments to existing AMC and GM, as well as creating additional ones to demonstrate compliance with operational requirements for unmanned VTOL-capable aircraft (VCA).
The NPA aims to create an efficient and up-to-date regulatory framework to support the development of the manned VCA market while maintaining safety standards using the following objectives:
🔸Allow operators to safely implement the relevant regulations to operate manned VCA in single European sky (SES)
🔸Meet the conditions for the safe operation of manned VCA in ATM environments
🔸Facilitate innovation and development in Innovative Air Mobility (IAM) using a regulatory framework which does not unnecessarily slow down the further development of the manned VCA market
🔸Guides and supports the competent authorities of the EU Member States in applications for regulations on manned VCA
🔸Guides and supports manufacturers and operators for deployment of manned VCA
The final MOC with Light-UAS.2510 is now available for download. The document serves as an accepted method to demonstrate compliance with the outlined requirements in Special Condition Light-UAS.2510 (a) and (b) with the intention of supplementing the engineering and operational judgement, forming the basis of any necessary compliance demonstration.
The MoC applies as a general requirement to UAS intended for SAIL IV operations, as specified in Light-UAS.2500 (a). It applies alongside system-specific requirements, including technical safety objectives derived from OSO #5 and OSO #10/#12 of AMC and GM to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947.
In the case that a specific SORA or Light-UAS requirement exists that predefines the system safety aspects, it will take precedence over the MoC.
This MoC does not cover cybersecurity, qualification aspects (e.g. HIRF/EMI) or Artificial Intelligence technologies and may require additional assessment processes.
The document was developed to address the evolving needs and requirements to update ED-269’s Chapter 8’s broader features beyond geo-fencing and requests for improvements or additions to the data model.
The document aims to cover all aspects of data provision and exchange in support of regulations (EU) 2019/947 and (EU) 2021/664.
The document, approved by the ASTM International F38 Committee, addresses the criteria for weather reports, analyses and services provided by weather information providers (WIP) to support extensible traffic management (xTM) systems, UAS and VTOL systems up to 1524m above ground level (AGL).
The objective of the standard specification document is to harmonise internal standards while facilitating collaboration with other standard development organisations (SDOs) for optimised consistency.
The standard does not address weather forecast performance and clarifies that operators must comply with regulations and maintain user responsibility standards for optimised safety.
ENAC has granted the first Light-UAS Operator Certificate (LUC) to Italian start-up FlyingBasket.
ENAC utilised early regulation development, international collaboration and strategic planning to support technological innovation and innovative air mobility services to mark this milestone and align with broader European strategies for future innovative air services.
The EASA and SHEPHERD project team will present a webinar based on the ‘SHEPHERD (UAS Standards) research project.’
The project evaluated over 60 standards concerning UAS operations and U-Space from various global standardisation bodies to assess compliance with the relevant EU regulations.
The webinar takes place on April 23, 2024, and will feature the following topics:
🔸 An introduction to the research scope and objectives
🔸 A summary of the research activities and their main results
🔸 Information regarding the expected benefits of the project
🔸 Q&A session
Participants can submit questions prior to the event using SLIDO, and the webinar will be recorded to be watched at a later date.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has released a new consultation document which proposes guidelines for unmanned aircraft (UA) operations within “Atypical Air Environments” (AAE).
The document is intended to assist BVLOS UA operations within an AAE and to support applicants with the operational, strategic and technical mitigations relevant to their specific operation.
It considers two main topics:
🔸What could be considered an Atypical Air Environment?
🔸Operating within an Atypical Air Environment
The policy is in its initial phases and will further develop as the IAM industry continues to define AAEs.
The document outlines an MoC for icing-related regulations that are applicable to VTOL aircraft without icing certification.
The standard specifies that, although a VTOL aircraft has not been certified for icing, it may inadvertently encounter icing conditions and must be able to safely operate under these unexpected conditions. This also includes information regarding snow conditions.
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See you in the skies and beyond,
Team Murzilli
