Pilots in the Evolving Urban Air Mobility: From Manned to Unmanned Aviation

In November 2022, the European Commission published the Drone Strategy 2.0, which includes a three-stage approach for Urban Air Mobility. Similarly, as early as 2020, the United States Federal Aviation Administration, together with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and industrial partners, conducted research on concepts of Urban Air Mobility operations. These regulatory initiatives addressed the evolutionary approach in the advancement of Urban Air Mobility, including operations conducted by manned aircraft, remotely piloted aircraft and autonomous aircraft successively. Pilots are an important component in the three-stage approach to the socially embraced model of Urban Air Mobility. This article will analyse relevant technical rules and social protection issues relating to pilots, in order to show how the insufficient aviation labour rules would impact the deployment and advancement of Urban Air Mobility; and what regulatory solutions are for both on-board and remote pilots.