The Communauté de communes (CdC) de la Haute Saintonge, which encompasses 129 towns and villages, could host one of the very first air corridors entirely dedicated to civil drones, according to Le Parisien newspaper. “Agricultural, commercial, and medical applications could also be developed within this secure environment…. Ultimately, these types of U-space corridors….could be interconnected, forming a network across the whole of France. In the meantime, a first “bubble” of four square kilometers is expected to be established by the end of the first half of 2026, around the Jonzac airfield.”
Drones will be able to operate freely within a 120-meter-high and 300-meter-wide “tube.”….The developers hope to quickly extend this “highway” to the small airstrip at Magnac-Lavalette-Villars (Charente), used by paragliders and located 50 kilometers away, said the newspaper report.
According to a Linkedin post from Innov’ATM, the company providing U-space services to the project: “Our partner Asman technology, a specialist in modular aerial surveillance and inspection solutions for planes, drones and helicopters, will be the first operators to fly in this U-space.” Innov’ATM in March 27, 2025 became the first French operator and the first private company in Europe to obtain USSP (U-space Service Provider) certification, issued by the DSAC,
The Haute Saintonge Community of Communes has allocated EUR50,000 to finance the studies necessary for the creation of this air corridor and Innov’ATM will contribute almost the same amount, according to the newspaper report.
“These experiments pave the way for new uses in the context of decarbonization and energy efficiency, while supporting the development of the skills of future drone operators,” said Innov’ATM.
For more information
https://www.linkedin.com/company/innov’atm/posts/
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