163 Singapore
Two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white. Near the hoist side of the red band, there is a vertical, white crescent (closed portion is toward the hoist side) partially enclosing five white five-pointed stars arranged in a circle. Red denotes brotherhood and equality. White signifies purity and virtue. The waxing crescent moon symbolizes a young nation on the ascendancy. The five stars represent the nation’s ideals of democracy, peace, progress, justice, and equality.
Flag courtesy of the CIA World Factbook
Map courtesy of the CIA World Factbook
The ArtScience Museum on Marina Bay in Singapore resembles a lotus flower. The museum is part of the Marina Bay Sands hotel and casino.
Photo courtesy of the CIA World Factbook
Government
According to Britannica, Singapore is a unitary parliamentary democracy based on the Westminster model. The president is head of state; until 1991 the largely ceremonial post of president was filled by parliamentary election, but in that year the constitution was amended to allow for the direct popular election of the president and for presidential powers to be expanded. The unicameral Parliament consists of 94 members, of whom 84 are elected and 10 are appointed to terms of up to five years. The parliamentary majority selects the prime minister, who is head of government, and the cabinet from its own ranks, and they in turn form the government. In each constituency there is a Citizens’ Consultative Committee, designed to link local communities to the ruling party.
Close liaison is maintained between the political and administrative arms of government. The administrative structure consists of the various ministries and statutory boards. These are staffed by civil servants who are monitored by an independent Public Service Commission.
Justice is administered by the Supreme Court and by courts of lesser jurisdiction, such as district and magistrates’ courts. Appeals can be made from the lower to the higher courts, with final appeal to the Court of Appeals. A Sharīʿah court has jurisdiction in matters of Islamic law.
Civil / National Aviation Authority (CAA/NAA)
The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) has a mission to “Grow a safe, vibrant air hub and civil aviation system, making a key contribution to Singapore’s success”. CAAS roles are to enable the growth of the air hub and aviation industry, oversee and promote safety in the industry, provide air navigation services, and develop Singapore as a center of excellence for aviation knowledge and human resource development.
Airspace
SkyVector – Google Maps – ADS-B Exchange
ICAO countries publish an Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP). This document is divided into three parts: General (GEN), En Route (ENR) and Aerodromes (AD). ENR 1.4 details the types of airspace classes they chose to adopt from classes A through G. Singapore AIP
Drone Regulations
An unmanned aircraft (UA) is an aircraft that can be flown or used without a person on board to operate it. Some examples of UA include radio-controlled aircraft, drones and remote-controlled kites.
A UA has many applications spanning from recreational activities to sophisticated commercial use. In Singapore, UA-flying is becoming a popular recreational activity. At the same time, UA is also being deployed for use to drive productivity and efficiency in different industries.
It is important that the flying of UA does not compromise aviation and public safety, so ensure that you fulfill the regulatory requirements and perform checks before flying your UA to ensure safety.
Overview of Regulatory Requirements
CAAS supports innovative and beneficial uses of unmanned aircraft (UA)1 and adopts transformative UA technologies. Our regulations ensure that UA operations can be facilitated while maintaining aviation and public safety.
CAAS recognizes the diversity UA uses in Singapore. The UA regulatory framework is differentiated according to three classifications of UA uses: Recreational, Educational and Business. It is important for all UA users to fulfill the respective regulatory requirements before flying the UA and ensure that all UA operations are conducted in a safe and responsible manner. CAAS takes a serious view of UA users who conduct errant UA operations and will not hesitate to take enforcement action against those who contravene the regulations.
For Recreational Purposes
If you are flying your UA for recreational purposes, the requirements are as follows:
For Educational Purposes
If you are flying your UA for educational purposes, the requirements are as follows:
For Business/Non-Recreational/Non-Educational Purposes
If you are flying your UA for business or non-recreational/non-educational purposes, the requirements are as follows:
You may also use this user identification wizard to check if you need to register your UA, or require any training, permit or license for your intended UA activity outdoors.
Refer to the Air Navigation (101 – Unmanned Aircraft Operations) Regulations for more information on UA regulations and penalties, and guidance on compliance with the regulations.
1 A UA is an aircraft that can be flown or used without any person on board to operate it. Some examples of UA include radio-controlled aircraft, drones and remote-controlled kites.
2 Indoors refers to any place that is enclosed at the top and on all sides (whether permanently or temporarily) so as to prevent the flight of any unmanned aircraft into or out of that place.
3 Publicly accessible, in relation to a place, means that the public or a section of the public has access to the place as of right, or by virtue of any express or implied permission with or without payment of a fee.
UA Registration
Any unmanned aircraft (UA) with a total weight of above 250 grams must be registered before it can be operated in Singapore. Some examples of UA include radio-controlled aircraft, drones and remote-controlled kites.
The UA registration is a two-step process comprising:
- Purchase of a registration label;
- Completion of the online registration via the UA Portal.
A registration fee of $20 will be collected at the point of purchase of each registration label.
Important note:
1. Users must be at least 16 years old at registration. For those below 16 years old, they must ensure that the UA they are flying are registered by someone eligible (e.g. parent or legal guardian) and have obtained his/her permission to use it.
2. Users are reminded that they will be held accountable for all activities involving the UA registered under their name.
Modes of Purchase
The registration labels can be purchased through the following methods:
Designated SingPost Post Offices
Users may purchase their registration labels at these 26 post offices.
For the latest information on branch opening hours, please visit www.singpost.com/covid-19-updates
Purchasing Limits
There is a purchasing limit for each individual:
- Up to 5 registration labels for Singaporeans and Permanent Residents (PR);
- 1 registration label for non-Singaporeans or non-PRs.
Note: Anyone who wishes to purchase more than the purchasing limit may submit their request. These requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Affix the registration label on the UA
Upon receiving the registration label, affix it on the UA before completing the registration online.
Note: As UA come in various shapes and sizes, a general guide is to affix the registration label on a visible and non-detachable surface. It should be affixed on the main body of the UA instead of a part that is easily removed or replaced (e.g. propeller, propeller guard, battery or payload).
Complete the registration online
Once the registration label is affixed on the UA, complete the registration via the UA Portal. The registrant will need to login via the following accounts:
- SingPass Account – when registering as an individual;
- CorpPass Account – when registering on behalf of an organization;
- UAPass Account – for a person without a valid SingPass/CorpPass account (e.g. tourists)
Note: As the creation of a UAPass account will take 5 working days to be approved, visitors are advised to complete their UAPass account creation prior to their visit to Singapore.
The registrant must de-register his/her UA via the UA Portal if:
- The UA is lost or damaged beyond repair;
- The UA’s registration label is damaged or when information on the label becomes illegible;
- The UA is sold, or given, to another person.
The registration label is non-transferable. The new owner of the UA will need to obtain a new registration label and complete the online registration.
Upon de-registration, the de-registered label should be removed from the UA and destroyed.
It is an offense to operate an unregistered UA with a total weight of above 250 grams in Singapore. Users who fail to comply with the registration requirements could face a fine of up to $10,000, or imprisonment not exceeding 6 months, or both.
For a more interactive guide, please watch the video below for a step-by-step guide to completing your UA registration process:
UA Operator and Activity Permits
Depending on the unmanned aircraft (UA) used, the purpose and location of the intended UA activity, users may need to obtain the requisite permits before operating a UA.
Operator Permit
An Operator Permit is granted by CAAS to an organization or individual if the applicant has demonstrated that he/she is able to operate the Unmanned Aircraft (UA) safely. The assessment will include, but limited to, the applicant’s organizational set-up, procedures to manage safety including the conduct of safety risk assessments, airworthiness of each of UA, and competency of the personnel involved in the flying of the UA. The permit is valid for up to one year.
Please click the list of UA Operator Permit Holders. This list is updated on a regular basis.
* All Operator Permit holders will also be required to subscribe to the Centralized Flight Management System (CFMS) service and attach a UA tracker on their UA before operating a UA from 1 June 2022. For more information on CFMS, please refer to the Advisory Circular titled “Centralized Flight Management System”
Activity Permit
An Activity Permit is granted by CAAS to an organization or individual for a single activity or a block of repeated activities to be carried out by a UA taking into account the location(s) of operation, type(s) of operation to be conducted, date(s) / time(s) during which the operation(s) to be conducted, operating altitude and mitigation measures to address location-specific circumstances.
There are two types of activity permits:
- A Class 1 Activity Permit is required for UA activities conducted for purposes that are not recreational or educational in nature; or if the UA to be used for recreational purposes is over 25 kilograms in total mass; or if the UA to be used for educational purposes is over 7 kilograms in total mass. A Class 1 Activity Permit is not valid without a UA Operator Permit.
- A Class 2 Activity Permit is required for UA activities conducted outdoors if the UA to be used for recreational purposes is 25 kilograms or below in total mass; or if UA to be used for educational purposes is 7 kilograms or below in total mass; and when the planned activity meets any of the following conditions:
- Operating altitude higher than 200 feet (approx. 60 meters) above mean sea level (AMSL);
- Within 5 kilometers of any civil aerodrome or military airbase; or
- Within any restricted, danger or protected area.
The average processing time of applications are as stated below. Please note that the processing time is subject to the complexity of the proposed UA operations and the full submission of all required supporting documents.
The applicable fees are listed as follows:
To obtain a permit and/or CFMS UA tracker, users will need to do the following:
Refer to the advisory circular titled “Permits for Unmanned Aircraft Operations” for more information on permit requirements.
UA Basic Training
Users who operate their unmanned aircraft (UA) with a total weight of more than 1.5 kilograms and not exceeding 7 kilograms, for recreational or educational purposes, are required to undergo a one-time UA Basic Training to be conducted by CAAS-approved UA Basic Training organizations. Users must be at least 16 years old at the point of flying the UA.
However, UA Basic Training is not required within an indoor location that is not publicly accessible, except when the purpose is for an event that is attended by more than 50 individuals at any time during the event.
The UA Basic Training will provide users with relevant theoretical knowledge on how to operate their UA safely. The training will take about 2 hours to complete. Upon successful completion of the training, users will be issued with a UA Basic Training certificate.
Please click the list of CAAS-approved UA Basic Training Organizations
Users who fail to comply with the UA Basic Training requirements could face a fine of up to $50,000, or imprisonment not exceeding 2 years, or both for a first offense and up to $100,000, or imprisonment not exceeding 5 years, or both for a second or subsequent offense. In addition, users who fail to produce a valid UA Basic Training certificate, UA Pilot License (UAPL), activity or operator permit during the verification checks by CAAS enforcement officers could face a fine up to $20,000 for a first offense, and a fine of up to $40,000 or imprisonment not exceeding 15 months, or both for a second or subsequent offense.
UA Pilot Licence
Users who operate their UA under the following conditions are required to obtain a UA Pilot License (UAPL):
- For commercial purpose, or for a purpose that is neither recreational nor educational, regardless of the UA weight; or
- For either recreational or educational purpose and with a UA of total weight exceeding 7kg.
However, a UAPL is not required within an indoor location that is not publicly accessible, except when the purpose is for:
- a sporting activity such as a competitive race or tournament; or
- an event that is attended by more than 50 individuals at any time during the event.
To obtain a UAPL, users will need to do the following:
*Users are strongly encouraged to complete a training program with any CAAS-approved UATOs to acquire the relevant knowledge and practical experience before attempting the theory test and practical assessment.
Refer to the advisory circular titled “Unmanned Aircraft Pilot License” for more information on UAPL requirements.
Users who fail to comply with the UAPL requirements could face a fine of up to $50,000, or imprisonment not exceeding 2 years, or both for a first offense and up to $100,000, or imprisonment not exceeding 5 years, or both for a second or subsequent offense. In addition, users who fail to produce a valid UA Basic Training certificate, UAPL, activity or operator permit during the verification checks by CAAS enforcement officers could face a fine up to $20,000 for a first offense, and a fine of up to $40,000 or imprisonment not exceeding 15 months, or both for a second or subsequent offense.
C-UAS
On 31 March 2021, a purpose-built C-UAS Operations Command and Control Centre (OCC) was operationalized. This augments our C-UAS and surveillance capabilities to ensure aviation and public safety.
Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Regulations & Policies
Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) News
2023 – Volocopter – The Launch of Urban Air Mobility in Singapore – A ROADMAP
2023 – Heron AirBridge works to bring AAM operations to Asia-Pacific countries
2024 – Singapore and Supernal Develop Advanced Air Mobility
2024 – Global Sky inks preorder for 15 VoltAero eVTOL aircraft
Short Essay Questions
Question 1
You have been hired by a Drone Startup Company. Your boss has immediately assigned this job to you.
They need you to prepare a one-page memo detailing the legalities of using a drone to film a regatta in Marina Bay, pictured above.
They need you to mention any national laws and local ordinances.
They specifically want to know what airspace you will be operating in and whether or not you need an airspace authorization.
Does it matter whether or not you are a citizen of the country?
Lastly, there is a bonus for you if, as you scroll through this chapter, you find any typos or broken links!
Question 2
Do you need a certificate to fly UAS?
If so, how do you obtain one?
Are there fees associated with this?
If so, how much?
Question 3
May you operate beyond visual line of sight?
If so, what procedures must you follow?
Question 4
Does the country have UAM/AAM laws? If so, describe, citing the exact law.
Question 5
Are you aware of any new laws or policies not mentioned above? If so, describe, citing the exact law or policy.
