Selangor Journal

UAS-TM to monitor drone usage in Malaysia to be ready in 2023 — CAAM

PUTRAJAYA, Sept 14 — The Traffic Management for Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS-TM), which among others monitors the use of UAS or drones nationwide online, is expected to be ready next year, said Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) chief executive officer Datuk Chester Voo.

He said that through the system, authorities would be able to monitor UAS operations in real-time and help in more efficient enforcement of UAS rules.

“The process to develop and implement the UAS-TM has begun and is expected to be ready for operations in the fourth quarter of 2023. Two important aspects of the UAS-TM are the registration and approval process of drone flights.

“With the availability of the UAS-TM, it will ensure the accountability of the UAS operator as well as the continued development of a safe, viability and efficient UAS or drone ecosystem with various applications,” he told Bernama.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob had said on Sept 6 that the Malaysian Drone Technology Action Plan 2022-2030 (MDTAP30) would be developed as a national agenda to support the drone ecosystem.

In addition, Ismail Sabri said the UAS-TM would also be developed to improve the efficiency of the Drone Operator Registration Process to increase UAS registration by 2030.

Voo, meanwhile, said the existence of dedicated drone flight areas was important for the purpose of research and development (R&D) and safe training for drones.

“The introduction of new rules is also important to enable more space for economic growth and innovation, especially in the drone industry,” he said.

Meanwhile, Muslim Abdullah Zaik, the chief executive officer of Technerve Technology Solutions Sdn Bhd, which offers Unmanned Aerial Vehicle-based services, said (MDTAP30) would help to further boost the drone-based economy, especially in the service and commercial fields.

“The development of the UAS-TM is seen to be able to help boost the use of drones for critical tasks… it can also shorten the time taken by drone operators to obtain permits for flight operations,” he said. 

This, he said, was because the current wide usage of drones in several sectors, including in agriculture, oil and gas and energy, faced several challenges, especially for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) flights.

At the same time, Muslim said MDTAP30 was the core to ensuring the country could develop a drone technology talent ecosystem in an effort to further boost the country’s drone ecosystem.

“The priority now is not just on handling skills and drone maintenance but the fundamental science of development in developing unmanned system technology,” he said.

— Bernama

 

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