Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) has issued IDs to the first certified Drone Operation Management Service Providers (USPs) that meet the requirements set by the country’s Civil Aviation Bureau.
NTT DATA Corporation and KDDI SmartDrone Co., Ltd. have now been named as the first certified USPs, having met the relevant standards.
In Japan, drones are expected to be used increasingly as an industrial tool to solve social issues such as labour shortages as well as benefit fields such as material transport and infrastructure inspection. As the frequency of drone operations is expected to rise in the future, a framework for appropriately managing drone operations in order to prevent close approaches and collisions between drones, or between drones and manned aircraft, is of course crucial.
MLIT is promoting a phased introduction of uncrewed traffic management (UTM). As an initial step, the ministry is working to provide support for adjusting flight plans using systems provided by certified USPs that meet the requirements set by the Civil Aviation Bureau. On March 31, 2026, MLIT formulated the guidelines that define the standards that certified USPs must meet.
“By using the operation management services provided by certified USPs, it is expected that safe and efficient drone operation management will be implemented, and the burden of procedures performed by operators will be reduced,” MLIT said on 16 September.
For more information
Image: New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization of Japan (NEDO)