Unmanned Aviation and Advanced Air Mobility

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is responsible for coordinating and developing global Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs), Procedures, and Guidance material for unmanned aviation with the goal to facilitate a safe, secure, and efficient integration of unmanned aircraft into the global aviation system.

Unmanned aviation affords unique opportunities, including cargo transportation, delivery of life-saving materials, wildlife monitoring, disaster management support, infrastructure inspection, and much more. The rapid advancement of technologies supporting unmanned aviation presents unique challenges to assure safe operations.

Technologies in the fields of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS), UAS Traffic Management (UTM), advanced air mobility (AAM), vertiports, as well as work conducted by technical standards organizations continue to advance. ICAO's global aviation leadership, its role as a forum to exchange information and build global consensus are key to developing a holistic vision and a harmonized framework.  

The Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) Section supports the following expert groups

The Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems Panel (RPASP) coordinates and develops ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs), Procedures and Guidance material for remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS), to facilitate a safe, secure and efficient integration of remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) into non-segregated airspace and aerodromes.

The Advanced Air Mobility Study Group (AAM SG) assists the Secretariat in developing a holistic vision and framework regarding AAM. This is done in a coordinated manner with other ICAO expert groups, as appropriate, with the aim to support a safe, secure, efficient and environmentally sustainable integration of AAM operations, and to facilitate the development of the AAM ecosystem. Furthermore, the AAM SG advises on all AAM-related work to be done by ICAO.