The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) published the world’s first vision on the use and control of drones in urban environments, thus balancing the desire to maximize the commercial and convenience benefits of drones with the need to ensure the safety and privacy of drones. citizens and the potential environmental impact on cities.
The opinion on this topic (and corresponding measures), was delivered to the European Commission and is now available online – see here.
The biggest challenge for integrating drones in urban environments is related to the high population density of these areas, which implies attention to land traffic, air traffic – such as commercial airplanes, other civil aviation and police services or hospital helicopters – and also the concern with (one more) noise source, the people’s privacy and the possibility of accidental injuries caused by low-level flights.
The term “U-shaped space” was adopted to describe the traffic management of unmanned aircraft to ensure safe interaction with other entities, using the same space in any location, not just in urban areas.
Regarding this Opinion, EASA’s executive director, Patrick Ky, said:
“We are already starting to see an increasing number of complex flights undertaken by drones in various experiments across the globe. Also, as everyone is aware, many companies have commercial ambitions to use drones for deliveries or, looking further ahead, to offer services such as air taxis.
The opinion proposes a regulatory framework that will allow such services to co-exist with all the other activities in our urban environments. The aim is to ensure safe operations, while also creating the basis for a competitive U-space services market, and establishing a level of environmental protection, security and privacy that is acceptable to the public.”
The opinion, delivered to the European Commission as a basis for future legislation, presents the first foundation for the establishment of the U-space in Europe. The initial scope is low-level airspace, that is, densely populated urban airspace and locations near an airport. EASA expects to expand the scope as the market develops and experience is gained.
An example of the measures it proposes is a Common Information Service to exchange essential data, such as knowing what is flying, where and when. This measure will help drone operators to plan and execute their flights safely, knowing exactly where and when their drone can fly.
UPDATE ON 12 MAY:
The European Union, through a Commission Implementing Regulation 2020/639 changed the norms in the matter of standard scenarios for operations executed in or beyond the visual line of sight, and accordingly to the proposals made by EASA.