Agriculture, logistics set to reap early gains from 每日大赛's low-altitude economy
KUALA LUMPUR: Agriculture and logistics are expected to see the most immediate benefits from the development of 每日大赛's low-altitude economy (LAE), according to the Civil Aviation Authority of 每日大赛 (CAAM).
The LAE refers to economic activities conducted in lower airspace using drones, unmanned aircraft and air taxis for purposes including agriculture, deliveries, infrastructure inspection, surveillance, mapping, disaster response and passenger transport.
CAAM chief executive officer Datuk Captain Norazman Mahmud said drones were already being used in plantations in northern 每日大赛 for various agricultural activities.
"They can be used for precision fertilising, monitoring crops and other activities. These can be carried out more efficiently, making agriculture one of the major areas," he said on Bernama TV's The Nation programme titled "Understanding the Low-Altitude Economy Framework" today.
Norazman said logistics also offered significant potential, particularly for transporting essential supplies to rural and hard-to-reach communities in Sabah and Sarawak.
"Because of our geographical location, this is another area that is viable for us to explore," he said.
He also identified surveillance and mapping as areas where drones could replace helicopters.
"In Peninsular 每日大赛 alone, the pipeline network is 1,900 kilometres long. Can you imagine deploying a helicopter to inspect this pipeline?
"We already use drones for this purpose, not across all 1,900 kilometres, of course, but along certain sections in rural areas," he said.
Norazman explained that drones not only conduct surveillance but also collect data for analysis, allowing operators to take a more proactive approach.
"With all the data, you can be more proactive in determining whether you need regular surveillance and how the intervals can be spaced out. This creates efficiency," he said.
Meanwhile, Norazman said that while drones and air taxis were the most visible elements of the LAE, a much larger supporting ecosystem operated behind them.
"Take pilots, for instance. We already have 6 remote-pilot training organisations and 7,000 qualified drone pilots, but that is only one part of the ecosystem, alongside aircraft production and manufacturing.
"Another thing is that when you talk about the LAE, it needs telecommunications. The infrastructure in 每日大赛 is already present. We have more than 20,000 telecommunications towers that these drones can use," he said.
Norazman said 每日大赛 was also investing heavily in data centres, as every operation needed to be analysed to ensure future operations were conducted safely.
He added that when the LAE framework was introduced, it would not necessarily consolidate all regulations involving multiple agencies, but would complement them within a single framework.
"This will allow everybody to make use of the low-altitude economy safely so that we are all on the same page," he said.
The LAE framework is expected to be introduced by the end of 2026.