From 28 to 30 October, the Indra uncrewed traffic management (UTM) team led a major validation campaign at Torrejón (Spain) as part of the SESAR Joint Undertaking ENSURE project.
The team worked with air traffic controllers from Málaga and Madrid to test how air traffic management (ATM) systems can seamlessly connect with drone management (U-space) systems.
The trials simulated real-life scenarios including runway inspections with drones to emergency helicopter operations to demonstrate that both systems can exchange information safely and efficiently. Several of the use cases in the trial will be executed in Málaga during the project’s final validation, which aims to achieve TRL7 maturity in January 2026.
The October validation took place at Indra’s Torrejón facilities, with the participation of two air traffic controllers from Málaga Airport and one from Madrid, as well as experts from Indra, ENAIRE, CRIDA and INECO. The event achieved the core objective of the ENSURE project by confirming the strength and reliability of each information exchange service implemented in the interface between ATM and UTM systems. The validated services, from both technical and operational perspectives, were U-plan, conformance monitoring, tactical operational message, tracking, UAS Zone, collaborative Interface with ATC, strategic conflict resolution, emergency management and contingency plan, and dynamic airspace reconfiguration.
The SESAR JU reports that feedback from the controllers from Málaga and Madrid was extremely positive. It was the first time they interacted with the latest version of the operational ATM system (iTEC) fully integrated with Indra’s U-space platform. These same ATM and U-space systems will be used during the TRL7 validation in Málaga.
“The validation was key to helping controllers become familiar with the real operational system to be used in the final trials and to receive initial training for the new responsibilities that the emerging role of DAR Manager will entail when managing operations in a shared environment with both manned and unmanned traffic,” the SESAR JU said in a statement on November 13.
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Image: SESAR JU
