The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) of Sri Lanka is planning to launch a pilot project to introduce passenger-carrying drones, as part of efforts to explore advanced air mobility solutions, the Daily Mirror reported.
CAA Director General Daminda Rambukwella said the authority has already begun taking steps to implement the pilot project, which will assess the feasibility of operating passenger drones in the country. Each drone would be capable of carrying up to six passengers, he said.
Rambukwella said similar passenger-drone services are already being rolled out in countries such as China, Singapore and Thailand, and that Sri Lanka hopes to evaluate the technology through the pilot programme before considering any wider deployment.
He added that the project will focus on assessing the operational, regulatory and safety aspects of passenger-drone services to ensure they meet the required aviation standards before any large-scale implementation.
Advanced air mobility — a broad term covering electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft and autonomous passenger drones — has drawn growing interest from aviation regulators worldwide as a potential means of easing urban congestion and expanding short-haul connectivity. Deployment in most jurisdictions remains at the trial stage, with airworthiness certification, air-traffic integration and public safety among the key hurdles regulators are still working through.
The CAA has not yet announced a timeline, operator or the routes that would be covered under the pilot programme. (This story concerns the Civil Aviation Authority, not the Consumer Affairs Authority, which shares the same abbreviation.)
