The current legislation of the Russian Federation does not yet allow unmanned air taxis to carry people on board. To develop this area, the regulatory framework needs to be improved, said Alexander Zaletsky, head of the technology department at "Bespilotnye Aviatsionnye Sistemy" company.
Today, vessels can perform flights both in piloted mode and in a mode where the person on board does not participate in control.
According to him, the first officially registered launch of the X-Sky drone with a person on board, which took place in Sakhalin in early July, is a "serious statement." Such tests confirm the demand for a new type of transport in the Far East, Zaletsky emphasized.
Unmanned air taxis should initially be tested with a person on board so that they can connect to piloting. If the safety of the systems is confirmed, it should be possible to switch to a fully unmanned mode, the expert explained.
According to Zaletsky, the work being done in Sakhalin helps to form the domestic market for unmanned aircraft systems. However, it is necessary to develop our own technological and production base, and service maintenance. Only through this approach can Russia become a leader in the UAS field in 2030-2035, he concluded.