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PETALING JAYA: Malaysian shoppers can expect their purchases to be delivered by automated drones in the future, as AirAsia Digital partners with Malaysia’s Global Creativity and Innovation Center (MaGIC) to launch the Urban Drone Delivery Sandbox.
The pilot project for the delivery of products from AirAsia’s e-commerce platforms, including the AirAsia store using automated drones, will be carried out through a six-month phased approach at the third test site of National Technology and Innovation Sandbox (NTIS) at Cyberjaya.
The service is currently in the testing stage with two local drone operators, VStream Revolution Sdn Bhd and Meraque Services Sdn Bhd.
The first phase of the project at Cyberjaya seeks to assess the drone operators’ capacity, experience, approval process, deployment readiness, and service expansion.
The service will be implemented in a successful testing phase and could be expanded beyond the sandbox environment.
As a national center for coordination and facilitation of solutions, NTIS provides a critical step by eliminating all selected processes and / or regulatory requirements to accelerate the development of innovative solutions from the R&D stage until they are commercially ready.
NTIS has also been working closely with Malaysia’s sole technical regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM), to ensure that the safety of unmanned aerial services (UAS) in urban environments is compliant with requirements and regulations. to ensure that public safety is maintained. the highest priority while facilitating the advancement of technology.
Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said NTIS also welcomes other drone technology startups to scale by connecting with regulators, telcos and other ecosystem players.
He said NTIS’s role is to develop a more vibrant drone technology ecosystem, and this can be accelerated with government intervention.
“The pandemic has presented us with an opportunity to accelerate structural changes in the economy, in terms of digitization, digitization, automation and robotics, and we must embrace that change to turn Malaysia into an innovation-driven economy.
“We believe that this strategic partnership between AirAsia and MaGIC will speed things up and signal the beginning of the urban drone delivery revolution in the nation,” he said.
Khairy added that Malaysia is poised to pioneer the DroneTech industry, which is expected to generate US $ 127 billion by 2025.
He added that the size of the global drone parcel delivery market was US $ 642.4 million in 2019, and is forecast to reach US $ 7.388 billion in 2027.
“Delivering goods with drones can be expanded and scaled beyond e-commerce, such as delivering essential or medical supplies to rural, remote, or disaster-affected areas,” he said.
AirAsia Group CEO Tan Sri Tony Fernandes said AirAsia is excited to partner with MaGIC to explore urban drone delivery that has the potential to improve efficiency and operational excellence, as well as accelerate the pace of delivery in urban areas. .
“Most importantly, this innovation will allow us to create new, high-tech job opportunities for Malaysians.
“The ability to pivot is part of our culture and while some are losing their jobs in aviation, we offer them a second chance to build a new career with us through e-commerce,” he said.
Meanwhile, CAAM said that it authorized the UAS delivery flight test and demonstration, and conducted the necessary assessment using the Specific Operation Risk Assessment (SORA) analysis methodology to ensure that the safety and security of the operation during the event was adequately assessed and mitigated. .
He added that the Extended Visual Line of Sight (EVLOS) flight demonstration that took place from Cyberjaya Park (Taman Mini Cyberjaya) to MaGIC operated with a distance of 1.74 km with an altitude of 80 m above ground level.
“Going forward, CAAM will continue to defend the safety and security of Malaysian airspace while protecting the interests of the public.
“CAAM is always committed to formulating the necessary requirements in order to integrate developments in drone technologies for safe operations,” CAAM Chief Executive Capt.Chester Voo said in a statement on Saturday (March 6).
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