Aspiring air taxi pilots in India may soon begin their training as the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is set to unveil licensing guidelines for electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, a senior official told businessline.
In aviation parlance, advanced air mobility vehicles, or air taxis, refer to a wide variety of eVTOL aircraft.
Senior officials pointed out that the guidelines can accelerate the rollout of air taxi services, bringing India closer to its vision of urban air mobility.
The guidelines, sources said, will define the qualifications, medical fitness, and training requirements for eVTOL flight crew.
According to one official, drawing from international best practices, the guidelines are set to include provisions for converting existing licences, recognising military pilot experience, and accepting licences issued by third countries.
The exercise to frame the guidelines, the official said, is part of a broader regulatory framework being developed by the DGCA to integrate eVTOLs into Indian airspace.
While the initial guidelines have addressed issues surrounding operational safety and airworthiness, upcoming regulations will focus on maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) certification, as well as navigation and airspace management.
The official said that since eVTOLs promise faster, eco-friendly commutes, the DGCA’s proactive measures aim to create a safe and efficient ecosystem for this futuristic mode of transport.
Global race
“As training programmes take off, India is poised to become a key player in the global race for urban air mobility,” the official said.
Besides, in another boost to the nascent sector, the Centre is expected to soon designate a few locations as ‘regulatory sandbox’ sites for testing and evaluating eVTOL prototypes.
A ‘regulatory sandbox’ site is a controlled environment used to test new products without the administration of regulatory requirements.
Potential sites are being scouted in Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat.
“One such location was recently surveyed in Gujarat, close to Mandvi, which is a beach town in the Kutch district of Gujarat,” the official said.
In Andhra Pradesh, a site near Vijayawada is reportedly under consideration as a ‘regulatory sandbox’ for eVTOLs and drones.
The official said a ‘regulatory sandbox’ will speed up the testing and standardisation of eVTOLs.
Several companies have come out with prototypes for eVTOL vehicles, even as the civil aviation regulator works on framing the guidelines for operations, licences, and safety standards of such aircraft.
