ENAIRE, the Spanish state air navigation service provider, in collaboration with Indra, reports it has successfully validated the interoperability between unmanned aircraft traffic management (U-space) systems and conventional air traffic control (ATM) through a technical and operational demonstration at Málaga-Costa del Sol Airport, operated by Aena, said ENAIRE in a press release.
“The validation demonstrated how they can co-exist in a safe and coordinated manner by managing their flights in a fully digital setting, thereby laying the groundwork for the progressive incorporation of new drone and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS)operations into the day-to-day environment,” continued the release. “These include infrastructure inspection, surveillance, emergency management, monitoring, and delivery services, the development of which requires orderly and reliable integration into the airspace.
“In this sense, the solutions and procedures developed within ENSURE project, have a direct application on drones’ operations in highly complex airspaces, such as the airport environment or urban areas near the airport, allowing the safe integration of these new airspace users with conventional aviation. This would allow for future drones’ maintenance and runway inspection to be carried out, sharing real-time information between U-space and ATM system, thereby reducing downtime whilst maintaining the safety levels of conventional air traffic.”
Indra and ENAIRE officials working on the ENSURE project
The demonstration included the presentation of the results of the operational validations carried out in Spain within the framework of the European ENSURE project, granted by the European Commission (as part of the Horizon Europe research grants) and managed by SESAR 3 Joint Undertaking. It involved a specific trial of the ATM-U-space interface developed by Indra, which allows for the coordinated integration of individual drone operations in areas of higher operational risk through an ongoing exchange of information between the two environments, as well as dynamically adjusting the airspace according to the needs of each moment, ensuring that drones and aircraft do not interfere with each other and maintaining aviation safety standards.
“The validation exercises covered the entire operational cycle, from the flight planning to the real-time flight management, to this end a great deal of constant coordination between the drone operators involved and the airport’s air traffic control service has been required, while maintaining at all times the stringent safety standards and the priority of the airport operations,” said Enaire.
Led by Indra, the project involves 18 European partners, including air navigation service providers, industry, research centres, and technological players. Against this backdrop, ENAIRE’s role is the designated single common information service provider in Spain, a core player in the operational implementation of U-space.
“ENAIRE is developing and deploying one of the most advanced unmanned air traffic management (U-space) platforms throughout the country, with Indra as the technology provider, which are vital for the safe integration of drones into the airspace,” said ENAIRE. “This platform will facilitate the development of a completely new sector in Spain that will lead to new services, employment, and technological know-how.”
For more information
https://www.sesarju.eu/projects/ensure
(Image: Shutterstock)
