UK Civil Aviation Authority publishes Concept of Operations for Airspace Architecture for drones and BVLOS in UK airspace

The UK Civil Aviation Authority (UK-CAA) published its Concept of Operations for Airspace Architecture this week, setting out a view of how drones and other emerging airspace users could operate routinely, safely and at scale within UK airspace.

Drones are already being deployed to inspect critical infrastructure, assist emergency services and move medical supplies. However, as demand increases, the UK airspace system will need the capacity to support far more operations than it does at present-without compromising safety.

At the moment, many Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS – Beyond Visual Line of Sight) drone activities rely on dedicated airspace arrangements and bespoke approvals. While these approaches have enabled innovation and safe trials, they were not designed to handle the volume of flights required for widespread commercial deployment.

What the Concept of Operations for Airspace Architecture sets out

The Concept of Operations explains how future BVLOS drone flights could shift towards closer integration with other aircraft. It describes a pathway built on technology, digital services and risk-based safety measures to enable more routine operations.

Technology and digital services proposed by the UK Civil Aviation Authority

The UK-CAA vision includes:

• Technology that enables drones and crewed aircraft to detect each other electronically;
• Systems that support drones in spotting and avoiding potential in-flight conflicts;
• Dependable communication links between drones and remote pilots;
• Digital traffic management services capable of coordinating large numbers of drone flights;
• Improved information sharing between operators, air traffic services and other airspace users.

The publication sits within the CAA’s Airspace Modernisation Strategy and the Future of Flight programme, and it builds on the recently published BVLOS Roadmap. It outlines how the UK could move step by step towards routine drone operations while maintaining safety for everyone using the airspace.

Potential benefits of routine BVLOS drone operations at scale

Making drone use possible at scale could unlock a wide range of benefits, including:

• Faster inspection of critical infrastructure such as railways, roads and power lines;
• Medical and healthcare logistics between hospitals and healthcare sites;
• Stronger support for emergency services and first-response activity;
• New logistics and delivery services;
• Environmental monitoring and maritime surveillance operations.

Sophie O’Sullivan, Director of Future Safety and Innovation at the UK Civil Aviation Authority, said:

*“Drone technology has huge potential to deliver economic and social benefits across the UK, but realising these benefits means enabling operations on a much greater scale than is possible today.

This Concept of Operations sets out our vision for how drones and other airspace users could safely share the same airspace in the future. It provides a roadmap towards a more integrated and digitally enabled airspace system that supports innovation while maintaining high safety standards.”*

Industry engagement and next steps

The Civil Aviation Authority expects the Concept of Operations to develop over time as technology advances, trials move forward and industry feedback is gathered.

The regulator is encouraging operators, manufacturers, technology developers, airports and other airspace users to engage with the programme and help shape the future of UK airspace.

Source: UK-CAA