The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) published a proposal of airworthiness standards for the certification of “the vast majority” of light unmanned aircraft.
The proposal is now open for public comment through Sept. 30, 2020. “These standards will greatly contribute to the safe operation of drones for a wide variety of services, such as parcel delivery in urban environments, railways and power lines inspection or delivery of essential supplies into crisis zones,” EASA said in a statement.
The proposed standards, which can be found here for download (Special Condition Light UAS), will be applicable to unmanned aircraft under 600 Kg.
“This proposal forms part of EASA’s wider initiative to ensure drones can be operated safely and acceptably, particularly in areas which are densely occupied by people and moving or static objects,” EASA Executive Director Patrick Ky said. “With large parts of the economy looking at ways to use drones to streamline their operations, it is essential that we have strong rules in place to ensure there is no danger to people or property from drone usage, and that noise levels are acceptable. It is our job to ensure that Europe’s citizens are kept safe as drone use increases.”
EASA said it is “taking a flexible approach by defining certification requirements which are objective and proportionate to the risk of the operation, an approach well suited for such an innovative product segment,” adding: “Publishing of the proposal for the future certification basis is expected to stimulate new design and certification initiatives for drones and to contribute to the safe integration into populated environments of Beyond Visible Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations, where the remote pilot cannot actually see his or her drone.”