Andres Van Swalm, founder and CEO of Unifly, Terra Drone Corporation’s Belgium-based subsidiary, has been appointed President of the Alliance of New Mobility Europe (AME), effective July 1, 2025.
“AME is a prominent European industry association with strong public and private sector influence, dedicated to promoting the regulatory development and societal implementation of next-generation air mobility, including drones and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM),” Terra Drone said on July 10. “Van Swalm’s appointment reflects recognition of Unifly’s longstanding contributions to both the regulatory development and real-world implementation of UTM systems across Europe.”
AME represents the voices of various industry stakeholders in dialogues with public institutions such as the European Commission and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). It provides practical, on-the-ground insights into rulemaking and standardisation processes related to European airspace policy. In addition, AME actively participates in public-private regulatory design projects and demonstration initiatives across Europe, such as the CORUS-XUAM project.
Andres Van Swalm, Founder and CEO of Unifly, has been actively engaged for over a decade in the design, standardization, demonstration, and deployment of regulatory framework for drones and AAM. Unifly’s UTM system is currently deployed in multiple countries, primarily across Europe, North America, and the Middle East.
“Unifly has been a core member of AME since its establishment, and Van Swalm has played a central role in dialogues with air navigation service providers, industry stakeholders, and research institutions across Europe,” Terra Drone said. “His extensive practical experience and proven track record as a trusted bridge between the public and private sectors were key factors in his selection as the new President of AME.”
On the day of his appointment, Van Swalm participated in a working group session at the European Parliament in his capacity as President of AME. The session focused on coordination among airspace policy, defence and industrial strategies. In his remarks, he emphasised that while Europe leads other regions in establishing regulatory frameworks for U-space, further policy commitment and practical collaboration with private sector stakeholders are essential to enabling commercial scaling.
Andres Van Swalm, CEO of Unifly and President of AME stated: I am honored to take on the role of President of AME at such a pivotal time for the drone and AAM industry in Europe. AME has long contributed to the development of European airspace infrastructure by serving as a bridge between regulatory development and real-world implementation. Moving forward, I look forward to working closely with our member companies and public-private partners to ensure that next-generation air mobility—such as drones and AAM—becomes an integrated part of everyday life across Europe.
Key priorities for AME include:
- Enhancing the human and financial resources of national civil aviation authorities and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)
- Updating regulations to accommodate emerging technologies such as automation and single-operator, multi-drone missions
- Scaling and accelerating SESAR (4)-supported projects across Europe
- Developing frameworks that balance the use of drones for both commercial and defence purposes
- Facilitating investment in takeoff and landing infrastructure to support urban operations
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