Civil aviation authorities from the Asia-Pacific region have jointly launched the “Reference Materials for Regulators to Facilitate the Regulation of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Operations”.
The Reference Materials, jointly developed by 24 Asia-Pacific states and administrations, are intended to help support industry development, accelerate safe adoption and reduce regulatory risk and cost.
They cover six key areas for eVTOL aircraft, namely: i) Certification, Validation, and Acceptance; ii) Regulations for eVTOL Aircraft Entry into Service (EIS); iii) Cooperation among National Agencies; iv) Economic Policies and Regulations; v) Capability Development; and vi) Social Acceptance; and two areas for uncrewed aerial systems (UAS), namely: i) Technical Guidance for the Implementation of Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) UAS Operations; and ii) Capability Building (UAS Personnel Training).
“This is the first time, and the Asia-Pacific is the first region within which, regulators have come together to jointly develop a set of Reference Materials which regulators can consider, adapt, and use to prepare for and facilitate commercial operations of air taxis and drones,” said the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) on July 17. “The launch of the Reference Materials will support more widespread use of drones and bring the region one step closer to making air taxi operations a reality.”
Besides adoption in the Asia-Pacific region, the group of authorities will also submit the Reference Materials to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) for reference for global adoption. In response to industry feedback, the Reference Materials will be regularly updated to address future technologies and operational concepts.
“For regulators, the Reference Materials will help regulators and regulations keep pace with the rapid development and deployment of new technologies to leverage their benefits for economies and societies while ensuring aviation and public safety and security,” CAAS said. “For industry, the Reference Materials will facilitate technology development and adoption, support industry development and reduce regulatory uncertainty, cost and risk to investments in AAM and UAS.”
A closed-group consultation on the draft Reference Materials was conducted in November 2024 and a public industry consultation was held in April 2025. Nearly 600 responses were received and this feedback was considered in the finalisation of the Reference Materials.
The feedback included a request for guidance to be provided on establishing safety targets for different types of eVTOL aircraft operations. The Reference Materials have consequently been updated to provide regulators with a structured approach to determining safety targets and facilitating the transfer of aircraft from the State of Design to the State of the Operator.
Another key comment was on the inclusion of a comprehensive list of industry standards recognised as acceptable means of compliance with regulations. The Reference Materials now include the scope of standards referenced across the industry in different regions to demonstrate compliance with specific regulatory requirements.
The launch of the Reference Materials took place at a CAAS-hosted meeting, which was attended by 20 Asia-Pacific regulators and senior representatives from 21 AAM companies and organisations. Participants discussed plans for more uses of drones and the launch of air taxi operations over the next five years and how countries can work together to facilitate and benefit from such operations. The importance of collaboration among governments, and between governments and the private sector, was highlighted at the meeting, to ensure that the region is ready for the full benefits of AAM.
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