The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has released its inaugural Test and Evaluation (T&E) Annual Report for 2024–2025, marking a significant step in advancing aviation innovation within the UK. The report highlights the T&E Team’s efforts in facilitating safe, efficient, and data-driven test flights, aligning with national initiatives like the Airspace Modernisation Strategy (AMS), UKRI Future Flight Challenge, and the Department for Transport’s Future Flight Industry programme.
Establishment and Strategic Focus
Established a year ago, the T&E Team aims to support the CAA’s mission by enabling test flights in integrated airspace. Their work centers on three strategic priorities:
- Data and Intelligence Gathering: The team has actively conducted test and evaluation activities to acquire data informing emerging policy areas, such as Detect and Avoid (DAA) and Atypical Air Environment (AAE) policies. This data-driven approach allows the CAA to test hypotheses, refine policy concepts, and enhance regulatory decision-making.
- Facilitation and Support of T&E Operations: By supporting industry operators in obtaining necessary authorisations and approvals, including through Regulatory Sandboxes, the team has enabled the safe execution of test flights, generating valuable insights for both regulators and industry stakeholders.
- Enabling Industry Testing: Recognising the need for industry to conduct independent trials efficiently, the T&E Team has developed best practices that allow operators to perform testing without direct CAA supervision. This includes exploring alternative means of compliance (AltMoC) in key policy areas such as Electronic Conspicuity (EC) and DAA, ensuring safety while reducing regulatory burden.
Key Achievements
Over the past year, the T&E Team has made significant strides in facilitating test and evaluation activities, gathering critical data, and streamlining regulatory processes to enhance efficiency. Their collaborative approach with industry stakeholders has been fundamental in enabling data-driven decision-making within the CAA. Data collected from operations is being used to refine policy concepts and will facilitate progress in key areas such as DAA and UAS Traffic Management (UTM), which are critical to scaled integrated UAS operations in the future.
Looking Ahead
The T&E Team plans to continue refining its approach, strengthening collaboration with industry, and leveraging insights from testing activities to shape future policy and regulatory frameworks. By enhancing the UK’s ability to support aviation innovation while maintaining the highest safety standards, the T&E function is poised to play a crucial role in the evolution of the UK’s airspace and aviation capabilities.
Read more:
- Regulation related articles.
- ARPAS-UK Regulation SIG news / positions / work / responses to consultations – ARPAS UK
15 April 2025