UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE (UAV) OPERATIONS IN
MALAYSIAN AIRSPACE
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 This AIC is issued in the exercise of the powers conferred under Section 24[O] of the Civil
Aviation Act 1969.
2. POLICY
2.1 It is the policy of the Department of Civil Aviation, Malaysia (DCA) that UAVs operating in
Malaysia must meet or exceed the safety and operational standards as those for manned
aircraft. Thus, UAV operations must be safe as manned aircraft insofar so they must not
present or create a hazard to persons or property in the air or on the ground greater than that
attributable to the operations of manned aircraft of equivalent class or category.
2.2 UAVs shall not be flown without obtaining prior relevant DCA approval.
3. DEFINITION
3.1 For the purposes of this AIC a UAV is defined as:
‘An aircraft which is designed to operate with no human pilot on board’
4. LEGAL CONSIDERATION
4.1 The Chicago Convention
4.1.1 As a signatory to the Chicago Convention (the Convention) and a member of the
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Malaysia undertakes to comply with the
provisions of the Convention and Standards contained in the Annexes to the Convention.
4.1.2 Article 3 of the Convention provides that the Convention applies only to civil aircraft and not
to State aircraft. State aircraft are defined as being aircraft used in military, customs and
police services. No State aircraft may fly over the territory of another State without
authorization. Contracting States, when issuing Regulations, undertake that State aircraft will
have due regard for the safety of navigation of civil aircraft.