Opportunities Product Approval Holder (Type Certificate) of UAS in Malaysia.

The UAS or RPAS increasingly becomes the essential equipment in aerial businesses; mapping, survey, surveillance, agriculture dispensing, and transporter. By the year 2026, ICAO will amend the ICAO Annex 8 - Airworthiness of aircraft to include the RPA technical requirements or airworthiness standards. Once the technical requirements are in the Ammex 8, the RPAS is eligible to be issued with a Type Certificate (TC) and eligible to be issued with the Certificate of Airworthiness (C of A). The ICAO envisaged that the drone is an aircraft in the category Remote Pilot Aircraft System (RPAS). The RPASs are expected to fly in the airspace operated by the manned aircraft operations such as the aircraft operated by the airlines. CAAM has been following the RPAS development and published several CAAM CAD on the UAS and also published the requirement for the UAS pilot licensing. This legislation provides opportunities for UAS or RPAS industry development

Several countries around the world, especially the UAS, have issued a Restricted Type Certificate (RTC) for the UAS. The FAA has issued two TC for the UAS; ScanEagle X200 and AeroVironment, Inc. Model Model Puma AE. The ScanEagle X200 weighs 44 lb (19.96 kg) and the AeroVironment, Inc. Model Model PUMA A weighs 15.5 Lbs. There is a need for the RTC and Special Airworthiness Certificate because some of these UAS operate in civil airspace, for example, the ScanEagle X200? is used to inspect railroads.

The certification of the UAS is similar to the aircraft. It begins with the development of the Certification Basis (CB), one of the elements for Certification Basis is the airworthiness requirements. There are already several airworthiness requirements developed by JARUS, CS-UAS, CS-LURS, CS-LUMRS, and CS-LUAS. In the FAA system, the airworthiness requirement may fall into the Primary Category, where the applicant will propose the required airworthiness requirements. For Malaysia, the MCAR Regulation 25 allows the application for approval of any airworthiness codes published by the member states. Most of the airworthiness requirements were based on the ICAO Annex 8, and compliance to these technical requirements will be audited by the ICAO. In 2026, ICAO will amend the ICAO Annex 8 to include the UAS technical requirements.

CAAM is no different from the rest of the world. It may differ from than the USA on the design and certification process because CAAM follows EASA practices, where the design and certification to be carried out by the approved design organization in accordance with the subsidiary legislation CAD 8401 - Design Organisation Approval (CAAM Part 21 Subpart J) and manufacturing by the company with the production approval in accordance with the CAD 8201 - Production Organisation Approval (CAAM Part 21 Subpart G) . The application for the design organization approval already has provision for large and medium/small UAS, which means the company may apply for UAS design and certification and become the product approval holder, Type certificate (TC) for UAS. The application for the TC had also given the provision to apply for Restricted Type Certificate (RTC). The RTC issued for the application for certification with the CB is not in accordance with ICAO Annex 8.? The legislation has provided the industry to apply for RTC and apply for C of A for the UAS. The RTC also allows the application for the RTC validation from other members’ states.?

Malaysian legislation has provided the opportunities to move forward by becoming the UAS TC holders. This opportunity is not only for Malaysian companies but for international companies to design and certify UAS from Malaysia. Please contact the author if any assistances are needed.