The UK Department for Transport (DfT) has announced it is redesigning manned aviation flight paths to help pave the way for new technologies like drones and flying taxis to take to the skies.
The government says the changes represent the largest redesign of UK airspace since it was first formed in the 1950s, when there were only around 200,000 flights per year, compared to 2.7 million in 2024. The new UK Airspace Design Service (UKADS) will be fully operational by the end of 2025 and will be run by NATS (En Route) plc (NERL).
Terming the flight paths as ‘skyways’, DfT says they will reduce flight times and could also allow planes to climb quicker during take-off and descend more smoothly, reducing noise and air pollution for residents who live along flight routes.
The UKADS’ initial focus will be on redesigning London’s airspace. “Over a longer timeframe, the UKADS could design routes that support flight paths for new and emerging technologies such as drones and flying taxis, spurring British innovation and delivering highly skilled jobs in the tech space,” DfT said on June 2. “The Department for Transport will continue working with the Civil Aviation Authority to ensure the swift delivery of these new and improved routes, as well as to ensure independent oversight of the UKADS roll-out”.
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