Malaysia exploring using drones to deliver critical cargo to remote communities

PUTRAJAYA – Drones will be used to deliver medical supplies, blood samples and other critical cargo to remote communities and far-flung areas in Malaysia as the country seeks to develop its low-altitude aviation sector.

Such cargo services could be utilised at plantations, on islands and at offshore facilities, said Norazman Mahmud, chief executive of the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM).

“In terms of geographic location, the time is quite ripe to look at it,” he said in an interview with The Star.

Norazman said CAAM had already carried out several proof-of-concept exercises involving the delivery of medical supplies and blood samples.

“If you go to Sabah and Sarawak, there are machines that are capable of carrying 500kg,” he said.

CAAM, under the Transport Ministry, oversees all matters related to civil aviation in the country.

Norazman said early applications could include parcels, medical supplies and other essential or time-sensitive goods.

But the authority said each proposal would need to be assessed based on the aircraft’s payload and range, route, operating conditions and safety requirements.

The use of such “air taxis” forms part of the draft Malaysia Low-Altitude Economy Framework 2026-2030, which is intended to set a common direction for government agencies, industry players and infrastructure providers.

CAAM said the framework remains open to public consultation and should not be read as a firm approval date for every technology or service.

Norazman explained that the sector had grown through separate and fragmented activities, including agricultural drone use, infrastructure inspections and delivery trials.

The regulatory framework is built around four pillars – safe aircraft, safe operations, connected infrastructure and a thriving industry – with the goal of ensuring that aircraft, operators and supporting systems can operate safely before services are expanded.

He also pointed out that new aircraft and drones would have to share the same limited airspace as existing aviation traffic.

“Look at Flightradar24. Today, we can see in real time the aircraft operating over Malaysia and those entering our airspace. Thirty years ago, that level of visibility would have been unimaginable,” he said.

“In the future, there will be more flying activity, but the airspace remains the same. The challenge is how to safely integrate these new aircraft into the existing airspace.”

Malaysia has also established regulatory sandbox programmes for certified unmanned aircraft systems and manned electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, or eVTOLs, through CAAM and Futurise. But CAAM has yet to announce specific eVTOL test-flight locations, operators or routes.

Norazman said the sandbox was intended to test operations in a controlled setting before they were allowed into a normal operating environment.

“What does sandbox mean? It’s a safe place,” he said.

“We want to see the concept of operations. How do you actually operate in a very safe environment?” added Norazman, who emphasised that sandbox approval did not automatically amount to approval for commercial services.

CAAM also wants Malaysia to build local capabilities in the sector rather than depend solely on foreign providers.

“We are not just being a mere user; we want to be actually a producer as well,” he said, adding that Malaysia had strengths in semiconductors, aircraft-component manufacturing and maintenance, repair and overhaul facilities. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK