JAKARTA, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia's Ministry of Transportation is targeting commercial drones, or Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), to be operational by the end of 2026, local media reported Thursday.
According to the reports, the ministry is currently drafting regulations and preparing infrastructure to support the new form of air transportation.
"We are on track to develop and embrace this technology. The Minister of Transportation is very concerned about the swift implementation of AAM. The hope is that by December 2026, one will be in commercial operation," Sokhib Al Rohman, director of airworthiness and aircraft operations at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation of the ministry, was quoted by local media as saying.
Sokhib added that the ministry plans to deploy large drones mainly in underdeveloped, frontier, and outermost regions, such as Papua, to transport basic supplies and infrastructure materials. Drone operations will be strictly regulated, with clearly defined flight paths, airspace management, and navigation controls.
To date, the ministry has registered around 5,000 small drones and issued over 11,000 remote pilot certificates. ■
