Air Navigation Service Provider NATS has published a whitepaper detailing its work developing a CONOPs for drone integration into the UK’s airspace.
The Concept of Operations (CONOPs) was developed as part of a project called Caelus and included the development of a Master Control Room interface as a bridge between crewed and uncrewed air traffic operations. NATS considers this interface as essential to achieving a fully integrated airspace.
The whitepaper outlines key learnings and recommendations from the successful completion of Project Caelus. NATS used simulated and live flight trials to demonstrate how technology developed for the Master Control Room can safely integrate uncrewed traffic in controlled and uncontrolled airspace, while minimising disruption to current air traffic operations.
This included using intelligent airspace management tools to authorise low altitude, Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone flight plans, providing deconfliction advice and instructions to drone operators and monitoring notifications related to airspace restrictions and specific missions. All this was achieved while maintaining oversight to ensure safe and efficient operations.
Project Caelus was focused on the delivery of critical medical supplies, but the progress made by it will help lay the groundwork for the full commercialisation of drones in the UK across a whole host of other industries, promoting the development of a safe, cost-effective, and thriving low-level airspace economy, said NATS.
Richard Ellis, new airspace users director for NATS Services said, “Through Project Caelus we have been able to demonstrate the safe and efficient integration of drones into UK airspace.
“By successfully operating BVLOS flights, validating the CONOPs and our Master Control Room concept, we have taken a significant step towards realising the full potential of drone technology for healthcare and other industries. We are now eager to continue to work with industry and regulators to translate these learnings into a clear pathway for commercial drone operations in the UK and beyond."
Other key project findings include the critical need for strong partnerships across the entire aviation ecosystem. This includes the use of cloud-based technology to support high-fidelity data sharing, allowing all stakeholders to operate with a common understanding of the airspace.
Gareth Bowen, new airspace users solutions consultant at NATS Services said, “While Project Caelus has successfully demonstrated the feasibility of safe and integrated drone operations, we recognise the critical need for additional research into data-driven intelligent operations.
“The future of drone integration depends on a system capable of effectively analysing massive amounts of data, predicting, and mitigating potential conflicts, and optimising operations to accommodate the expected increase in drone traffic. This approach will be critical for the long-term scalability and sustainability of the drone industry.”
The whitepaper Advancing Aviation through Integration of Drones in the UK’s Low-Level Airspace, produced by NATS Services, is available for download on NATS' website: Project CAELUS White paper - NATS