'Unified Pilot System for Unmanned Aircraft Products and Systems' platform to be used in UAE

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The details of a platform called the “Unified Pilot System for Unmanned Aircraft Products and Systems” were announced on Dec. 18 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The platform is the first unified electronic platform for UAS and air vehicles to be used in the UAE for recreational, service and commercial purposes.

Reportedly “in line with the UAE government's keenness to provide a civil aviation environment and a safe community for practice,” the platform will be used to obtain UAS information and conform to the UAE standards that were established by the Committee for Monitoring the Implementation of the Light Sports System.

Major General Dr. Ahmed Nasser Al Raisi, Chairman of the Light Air Sports Committee, confirmed that the committee has taken up several initiatives and projects, and conducted mass awareness campaigns. The committee has also issued regulations and laws related to the safety and security of civil aviation and air traffic.

The committee submitted proposals for legislation that were in accordance with the federal government's intention of providing a “sound environment for practicing this type of sport, without prejudice to legislation and legal instructions, or violation of public safety requirements such as threatening the safety of people and property, public or private.”

“The development of UAV technology is on the rise locally and globally, and with the continued improvement in technology, we are likely to see rapid growth in UAV activity in the next few years,” says Saif Al Suwaidi, Director-General of the General Civil Aviation Authority, via Zawya.com.

“While UAVs have the potential to have a positive impact on many parts of life in the UAE, they can also pose a number of risks, especially in safety, security and privacy, if not properly used.”

Abdullah Abdul Qader Al Maeeni, Director-General of the Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology, ESMA, says that a fundamental concern for the authority is raising the standards of quality of life in the UAE, commenting that “this is achieved through the technical authority, which has developed the technical regulations in coordination with its strategic partners.”

“Traders and suppliers are now required to register their products from unmanned aircraft through the unified electronic platform, which will be introduced today, an electronic platform for registering products that will be used in the country's atmosphere in accordance with the requirements and standards of the General Authority for Civil Aviation,” Al Maeeni says.

He adds, “the legalization of this issue represents a proactive step by ESMA and its strategic partners to avoid any potential challenges or obstacles arising from the expansion of UAVs in a federal endeavor that ensures a positive impact on society from the evolution of technology, not the other way around.”