Aircraft may accelerate the rollout of Air Taxi Services proposed by Licensing guidelines for eVOTL.
DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) is about to unveil Licensing guidelines for electric vertical take-off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft, as Air Taxi pilots may soon begin their training in India, which we got to know from trusted sources working as a senior official. Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) vehicles, commonly known as air taxis, come with a wide range of eVTOL aircraft. These vehicles promise a faster, eco-friendly, and transformative future.
India is moving forward towards development and taking proactive steps to enable urban air mobility through new guidelines and regulations. These regulations can accelerate the rollout of air taxi services.
The future guidelines will primarily focus on the maintenance, repair, Medical fitness, qualifications, and any other training requirements for eVTOL crew. The main goal is to accelerate the integration of eVTOL into the Indian airspace, while the primary focus is on safety, efficiency, operational readiness, overhaul (MRO) certificate, as well as airspace management and Navigation.
According to the sources, the new guidelines are drawn from International Best practices and set to include provisions for converting existing licenses, recognizing military pilot experience, and accepting licenses issued by other countries.
Officials said the exercise to frame the guideline is a part of the border regulatory framework. Which is being developed to integrate eVTOLs into Indian Airspace is being developed by the DGCA.
Urban Air Mobility: India’s Vision
“India is poised to become a key player in the global race for Urban air Mobility, once the Air Training programmer takes off,” an Official said.
The government is planning to finalize the controlled testing environment, which will be known as “Regulatory Sandboxes,” to speed up the rollout of eVTOL services.
A ‘regulatory sandbox’ site will be a controlled environment that will be used to test the new products without any interference with the administration of regulatory requirements.
Potential Locations :
Gujrat: Near Mandvi, which is a beach town in the Kutch District
Andhra Pradesh: An under-construction site, which is near Vijayawada
This ‘ regulatory sandbox’ as per the official will speed up the testing and standardization of eVTOLs.
Many major companies have already entered this race, developing eVTOL prototypes and waiting for regulatory clearance for operations, licensing, and safety standards. India now aims to promote technological advancements in this nascent sector and attract investments by creating a supportive regulatory ecosystem.
With the focus on eco-friendly, better transport solutions, India’s advanced air mobility initiatives are becoming a further step forward to revolutionizing urban transportation.
DGCA’s proactive approach and the creation of regulatory sandboxes are expected to play a pivotal role in making the future of Air Taxi in India