European aviation authorities say they are developing plans intended to ensure that drone use in low-level airspace is safe, secure and environmentally friendly.
Plans developed by the Single European Sky Air traffic management Research Joint Undertaking (SESAR-JU) call for creation of a “U-Space” from the surface to 150 m (492 ft) for the operation of drones (also known by a number of other terms including unmanned aircraft systems), the European Commission (EC) said Friday.
The system will include basic services such as registration, e-identification and geofencing and is expected to be in place by 2019, the EC said, adding that the system will provide information for highly automated — or autonomous — drones to operate safely and avoid collisions.
“Drones mean innovation, new services for citizens, new business models and a huge potential for economic growth,” said Violeta Bulc, the European Union (EU) commissioner for transport. “We need the EU to be in the d…
