Volume 7 Issue 29 (September 2022) PP. 673-688
DOI 10.35631/IJLGC.729045
Copyright © GLOBAL ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE (M) SDN BHD - All rights reserved
673
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LAW,
GOVERNMENT AND COMMUNICATION
(IJLGC)
www.ijlgc.com
THE LEGAL PERSPECTIVES OF THE DOCTRINE OF
NAVIGABILITY OF AIRSPACE FOR COMMERCIAL
UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES (UAVs) IN SHIPPING AND
DELIVERY
Norhusna Emirah Onn
1*
, Mushera Ambaras Khan
2
, Khairil Azmin Mokhtar
3
1
Ahmad Ibrahim Kuliyyah of Laws, International Islamic University Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Email: norhusna.emirah@live.iium.edu.my
2
Civil Law Department, Ahmad Ibrahim Kuliyyah of Laws, International Islamic University Malaysia, Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia.
Email: mushera@iium.edu.my
3
Civil Law Department, Ahmad Ibrahim Kuliyyah of Laws, International Islamic University Malaysia, Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia.
Email: ka_mokhtar@iium.edu.my
*
Corresponding Author
Article Info: Abstract:
Article history:
Received date: 01.09.2022
Revised date: 09.09.2022
Accepted date: 27.09.2022
Published date: 30.09.2022
To cite this document:
Onn, N. E., Khan, M. A., & Mokhtar,
K. A. (2022). The Legal Perspectives
Of The Doctrine Of Navigability Of
Airspace For Commercial Unmanned
Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) In Shipping
And Delivery. International Journal
of Law, Government and
Communication, 7 (29), 673-688.
DOI: 10.35631/IJLGC.729045.
The emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic has had a massive social and
economic impact all over the world. The conventional methods of logistics,
shipping, and delivery of goods are crucial in the economic chains. The use of
commercial unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for shipping and delivery has
been viewed as an innovative approach and business strategy for the logistics
company. Commercial UAVs in shipping and delivery might be a novel and
effective delivery technique in logistic services, especially for small parcels,
and could be extended to medical supplies. However, due to the rigidity of laws
and regulations in providing the right of way and other infrastructures to
commercial UAVs, UAVs in shipping and delivery appear to be unwelcome in
Malaysia. This article is based on doctrinal research and seeks to analyze the
regulatory pattern of the doctrine of navigability of low-altitude airspace for
the shipping and delivery of UAVs in Malaysia and other selected countries.
Moreover, this article also further highlights the various secondary sources of
laws from the various authors to view their standing on the navigability concept
of UAVs in shipping and delivery. This article recommends the segregation of
the low-altitude navigable airspace for UAVs to resolve the conflict of interest
between the proprietor’s airspace and the navigable airspace of manned aircraft
and further suggests other infrastructures for the expansion of UAVs in the
logistics sector.