The Department for Transport is coordinating a high level group, co-chaired with Duncan Walker of Skyports, that includes high level representatives of Gov’t, DFT, CAA, and Industry, including ARPAS-UK.
The objective is to converge on a UK UAS and e-VTOL roadmap, and associated CAA roadmaps. This is a unique opportunity to shape the direction and speed of our industry’s evolution. The 2 main areas of focus are:
- The evolution of the Specific Category combined with the airspace integration strategy, encapsulated in the strategic outcome of: “Routine UAS BVLOS operations at scale in airspace shared with other users”
- The emergence of Advanced Air Mobility, encapsulated in the strategic outcome of “ Routine Piloted eVTOL Flight Operations”, followed by “Initial remotely piloted/autonomous VTOL operations”.
The group is not public and no official communication is made at this stage. We will respect that status. However, detailed input beyond the general vision is required now so that the first draft reflects market needs and is backed by expertise on the ground. First workshops are being set up in the first half of July to discuss specific sub-topics.
We are keen to engage with membership, with a view to provide the best input to the group, meaning educated positions and expertise that help the authorities’ understanding and help the industry as a whole move forward.
If you have relevant expertise on Routine UAS BVLOS in shared airspace and can contribute, on an occasional basis or on a regular basis, please register your interest through the survey form HERE.
An equivalent call for expertise is launched for Piloted EVTOL.
Thank you for your contribution.