Drones are increasingly being used commercially, from inspecting construction sites to surveying posssible routes for piplines and roads. Drone flights will need to be easy to conduct and feasible at short notice. The reality is different, however, and drone flights are not always feasible, especially in areas with a high volume of drones. This is due to lengthy flight approval processes.

U-Space, a spatially delimited airspace element, is intended to solve these challenges. In U-Space, special rules and procedures coordinate drone traffic. Drone flights can be carried out quickly, safely and without a long approval process – even beyond the pilot's line of sight.

"In the future, U-Space will also allow the full potential of drones to be exploited in urban areas within an established framework," says Droniq CEO Jan-Eric Putze. "For unmanned aerial transport, this is a milestone. We are proud to show for the first time what this future can look like."

The basis for U-Space is formed by requirements laid down by EASA. These partly determine its technical and procedural design. They also define the necessary actors and tasks for its organisation.

Drone traffic in U-Space is coordinated by a U-Space Service Provider (USSP). This is the contact person for drone pilots. This task is taken on by Droniq as part of the U-Space Sandbox. It issues flight permits for the drone missions and informs pilots about the current manned and unmanned air traffic as well as any airspace restrictions. To do this, Droniq uses the first fully operational traffic management system for drones (UTM) in Germany, which it distributes and which was developed by DFS.

The second central role is fulfilled by DFS. As the Single Common Information Service Provider (SCISP), it supplies Droniq with all relevant airspace and air traffic data for the provision of U-Space services. Furthermore, with the manned aviation data, all air traffic, manned and unmanned, can be displayed in a combined air situation picture. This is an essential prerequisite for flights beyond the visual range of pilots – and thus for the efficient use of drones.

"Our drone traffic systems puts us in an excellent position internationally, providing a solid foundation for the integration of drone airspace. In this way, we are enabling fast and uncomplicated drone operations. This is an important step towards digital aviation, combined with a proven safety standard," explains Friedrich-Wilhelm Menge, Managing Director Technology at DFS.

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Picture Copyright: Jan Brandes

Contact

Droniq: Phil Stephan
Telefon: + 49 171 6099 747
E-Mail: phil.stephan@droniq.de

DFS: Anja Naumann
Telefon: +49 421 5372 116
E-Mail: anja.naumann@dfs.de