தவறவிடாதீர்கள்..!உடனே பதிவு செய்யுங்கள்

By Our Correspondent

High-level discussions were held yesterday (18) at the Ministry of Ports and Civil Aviation, chaired by Minister Anura Karunathilaka, to discuss the initiation of passenger drone services aimed primarily at boosting Sri Lanka’s tourism sector.

Addressing the meeting, the Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation stated that while the primary objective of introducing passenger drone services is to enhance tourism, the infrastructure will also support emergency disaster relief and naval operational requirements.

However, he emphasized that before launching commercial operations, mandatory regulatory approvals must be secured from the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka (CAASL) regarding airspace safety, regulatory frameworks, air traffic control, emergency protocols cybersecurity, data protection, and designated landing sites.

Minister Karunathilaka added that the project will be implemented through a coordinated multi-agency framework involving the Ministry of Defence, the Sri Lanka Air Force, the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL), the Board of Investment (BOI), and the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA).

During the discussion, officials from EHang presented a detailed briefing on their passenger drone technology, powered by Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) systems. These electric passenger drones are capable of vertical takeoff and landing, requiring a footprint of less than 900 square meters. The two-seater drones are equipped with 16 propellers and can safely land using as few as four propellers in an emergency. Furthermore, the autonomous aircraft are managed via artificial intelligence from a centralized control room and feature 12 battery modules along with three redundant flight control systems to ensure high-level safety and flight stability.