The Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM), in collaboration with Futurise Sdn Bhd, is fast-tracking Malaysia’s entry into the era of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM). This milestone initiative will position Malaysia as a regional leader in the low-altitude airspace economy, paving the way for new transport solutions such as electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOLs). To ensure a sustained trajectory for Malaysia’s AAM, CAAM and Futurise are on track to develop the AAM Concept of Operations (ConOps), targeted for release in the first quarter of 2026.
In December 2024, CAAM appointed Futurise as the Secretariat of the Advanced Air Mobility Steering Committee (AAM-SC), leveraging Futurise’s experience in regulatory sandboxes for emerging innovations such as drone technology, autonomous vehicles, micromobility and online healthcare services. Apart from overseeing the regulatory sandbox, Futurise will spearhead the development of the ConOps document in alignment with CAAM’s policy direction while contributing its expert insights to the AAM roadmap to ensure a clear and strategic pathway for Malaysia’s integration into the low-altitude aviation economy.
The ConOps will serve as a strategic living document to guide the safe introduction and growth of AAM services in Malaysia. It will define operational scenarios, stakeholder roles, airspace usage and regulatory requirements, thus, enabling the transition from conceptual frameworks to real-world deployment. Malaysia’s ConOps will align with internationally recognised regulatory frameworks set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and others. A series of workshops and industry engagements throughout 2025 will ensure input from all corners of government, regulators and the aviation industry.
“From the ConOps, the regulatory sandbox will progress to transition AAM from conceptual discussions to real-world applications. The sandbox will provide a controlled environment for testing and innovation, enabling rapid development and safe deployment of AAM technologies based on the ConOps. This marks a significant step in Malaysia’s active participation in the global AAM landscape,” said Dato’ Captain Norazman Bin Mahmud, CEO of CAAM.
Challenges persist in advancing Malaysia’s AAM ecosystem especially with the widespread misconception that equates drones with AAM. Clarifying this distinction, Dato’ Captain Norazman further stated:
“While drones are classified as Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and are already regulated under Civil Aviation Regulations and Civil Aviation Directives (CAD), AAM encompasses a broader class of aircraft, such as eVTOLs, that require a new regulatory approach. Part of Futurise’s role as the AAM-SC secretariat is to resolve the grey area of AAM as a new aircraft segment improved with greater functionalities”.
