The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) has announced new measures to further support the use of uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) and UA industry development while ensuring public and aviation safety and security. In 2024, 2,305 UAS users registered their system with CAAS.
From February 14, CAAS will remove the current limit on the number of UAS weighing above 250g which each company and individual can register in Singapore. Those who wish to register additional UAS weighing more than 250g will need to seek special approval from CAAS. It is also worth noting that, from December 2025, all UAS weighing above 250g, except where the operator has been granted an operator permit, will need to be equipped with Broadcast Remote Identification (B-RID).
CAAS will also allow commercial UAS operators to conduct operations of up to 400ft above mean sea level (AMSL) in designated areas on all days of the week and shorten the waiting time for activity permit approval. The designated areas are generally more than 6km away from aerodromes where CAAS says operations can be conducted safely without impacting manned aircraft operations at these altitudes. This measure also comes into play from February 14.
CAAS currently allows, upon permit approval, commercial UAS operations up to 200ft AMSL on weekdays and weekends. Flights above 200ft AMSL are only allowed at weekends, to better manage competing airspace use on weekdays. Companies that use UAS for applications such as infrastructure inspections have told CAAS that allowing such operations on weekdays could help increase operational flexibility and reduce labour costs compared to weekends. About 25 percent of UAS operation applications in 2024 were for operations between 200ft AMSL and 400ft AMSL.
The time for approval of permits for UAS commercial operations up to 400ft AMSL over the designated areas will be reduced from five to three working days. UAS operations above 400ft AMSL in the designated areas, or UAS operations above 200ft AMSL outside of the designated areas, will continue to be allowed at weekends only, upon permit approval.
In addition, CAAS will streamline the real-time airspace clearance processes to expedite approvals. Currently, operator permit holders are required to call CAAS and/or the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) first to seek airspace clearance before commencing their UAS operations and then notify the agencies at the end of their operations. This is on top of using the Centralised Flight Management System (CFMS) FlyItSafe mobile application to indicate the start and end of UAS operations.
From February 14, operator permit holders can perform these two functions digitally through the CFMS FlyItSafe mobile application, with a new “Call Approval” feature. They no longer need to call CAAS and/or RSAF at the start and end of the UAS operations. For certain areas, depending on operational height and location of operations, and at certain times, which have been pre-identified and pre-cleared by CAAS and RSAF, operator permit holders can also get immediate clearance which can help them save time and increase productivity of operations.
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