The UK’s Civil Aviation Authority today published its Airspace Architecture Concept of Operations, setting out its vision for how drones and other new airspace users could operate routinely and safely at scale within UK airspace.
“Drones are already being used to inspect critical infrastructure, support emergency services and transport medical supplies, but as demand grows the UK’s airspace system must be able to safely accommodate far more operations than it does today,” said the UK airspace regulator. “Many beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone operations currently rely on dedicated airspace arrangements and bespoke approvals. While these have enabled innovation and safe testing, they are not designed to support the volume of operations needed for widespread commercial use.”
Under the CONOPs, the CAA has outlined a time-line of three stages for introducing more complex BVLOS operations:
Today (2025–2026) routine BVLOS is currently possible under the Atypical Air Environment (AAE) policy concept or through bespoke UK SORA safety cases.
In the near future (scalable operations 2026–2027) “operations will transition toward multi-operator environments, enabled by UK SORA and enhanced by the Future ATM/ANS architecture, up to residual air risk class (ARC)-b. In an atypical scenario multiple operators can share the same AAE volume through UTM-enabled flight planning and strategic deconfliction. Routine operations will begin in controlled airspace, reducing reliance on temporary structures. Scenarios move toward ARC-b, requiring approved detect and avoid (DAA) solutions and standardised ATC procedures.
In the Long-Term “High-Risk Environments 2028+ the focus shifts to operational examples in high-risk environments with residual ARC-c or ARC-d only possible in the long-term and requiring mature, highly integrated systems. Multiple operators in uncontrolled urban areas and point-to-point freight deliveries across the UK will be possible. These high-complex environments will require ARC-c approved DAA solutions and mandatory Electronic Conspicuity (EC) across all aircraft. Mature DAA and tactical deconfliction via UTM will be essential for integration, as these high-integrity solutions are not yet widely available for routine commercial use.
The Concept of Operations sets out how future BVLOS drone operations could move towards greater integration with other aircraft through a combination of technology, digital services and risk-based safety measures.
The vision includes:
- Technology that helps drones and aircraft electronically detect one another.
- Systems that help drones identify and avoid potential conflicts in flight.
- Reliable communication links between drones and remote pilots.
- Digital traffic management services that can coordinate large numbers of drone flights.
- Better sharing of information between operators, air traffic services and other airspace users
The publication forms part of the CAA’s Airspace Modernisation Strategy and Future of Flight programme and builds on the recently published BVLOS Roadmap, says the CAA> It describes how the UK could progressively move towards routine drone operations while maintaining safety for all airspace users.
Enabling drone use at scale will 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 facilities. enhanced support for emergency services and first responders, new logistics and delivery services and environmental monitoring and maritime surveillance operations
Sophie O’Sullivan, Director of Future Safety and Innovation at the UK Civil Aviation Authority, said: “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, digitally enabled airspace system that supports innovation while maintaining high standards of safety.”
For more information
https://www.caa.co.uk/publication/download/29467