Agriculture, Logistics To See Immediate Impact From Low-altitude Economy -- CAAM

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 25 (Bernama) -- Agriculture and logistics are expected to experience the most immediate impact from the development of Malaysia’s low-altitude economy (LAE), according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM).

The LAE refers to economic activities conducted in lower airspace using drones, unmanned aircraft and air taxis for purposes including agriculture, deliveries, infrastructure inspection, surveillance, mapping, disaster response and passenger transport.

CAAM chief executive officer Datuk Captain Norazman Mahmud said drones are already being used in plantations in northern Malaysia for various agricultural activities.

“They can be used for precision fertilising, monitoring crops and other activities. These can be carried out more efficiently, making agriculture one of the major areas,” he said on Bernama TV’s The Nation programme titled “Understanding the Low-Altitude Economy Framework” today.

Norazman said logistics also offers significant potential, particularly for transporting essential supplies to rural and difficult-to-reach communities in Sabah and Sarawak.

“Because of our geographical location, this is another area that is viable for us to explore,” he said. 

Norazman also identified surveillance and mapping as another area where drones could replace helicopters.

“In Peninsular Malaysia alone, the pipeline network is 1,900 kilometres long. Can you imagine deploying a helicopter to inspect this pipeline?

“We already use drones for this purpose, not across all 1,900 kilometres, of course, but along certain sections in rural areas,” he said.

Norazman explained that drones not only conduct surveillance but also collect data for analysis, allowing operators to be more proactive than reactive.

“With all the data, you can be more proactive in determining whether you need regular surveillance and how the intervals can be spaced out. This creates efficiency,” he said.

Meanwhile, Norazman said that while drones and air taxis are the most visible elements of the LAE, a much larger supporting ecosystem operates behind them.

“Take pilots, for instance. We already have six remote-pilot training organisations and 7,000 qualified drone pilots, but that is only one part of the ecosystem, alongside aircraft production and manufacturing.

“Another thing is that when you talk about the LAE, it needs telecommunications. The infrastructure in Malaysia is already present. We have more than 20,000 telecommunications towers that these drones can use,” he said.

Norazman said that Malaysia is also investing heavily in data centres, as every operation needs to be analysed to ensure that future operations are conducted safely.

He added that when the LAE framework is introduced, it will not necessarily consolidate all regulations involving multiple agencies but complement them within a single framework.

“This will allow everybody to make use of the low-altitude economy safely so that we are all on the same page,” he said.

The LAE framework is expected to be introduced by the end of 2026.

-- BERNAMA