DronePort Network, an Oklahoma City-based UAV infrastructure developer, has formed a strategic partnership with Sweden-based flight tracking network Wingbits to introduce an AI-powered airspace intelligence platform specifically designed for drone operations. This collaboration integrates Wingbits’ comprehensive ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast) data into DronePort Network’s meerir platform, creating what the companies describe as the first conversational, human-centered airspace awareness tool for community airports, universities, city planners, and insurance companies.
Revolutionary Conversational AI Interface
The partnership has produced an advanced airspace AI agent that allows users to interact with complex aviation data through natural language queries. Rather than requiring specialized training or technical expertise, stakeholders can request custom visualizations and insights tailored to their specific operational needs using everyday language. This democratization of airspace data represents a significant departure from traditional systems that typically required costly consulting services or extensive technical knowledge.
The meerir platform leverages Wingbits’ real-time ADS-B data to provide comprehensive airspace visualization and analytics capabilities. Users can generate aircraft activity heat maps, access historic aviation traffic data, and obtain airspace risk assessments within seconds. This rapid data processing and analysis capability positions the platform as a critical tool for supporting Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) initiatives and advanced air mobility readiness.
Wingbits’ Expanding Global Network
Wingbits has established itself as a rapidly growing force in flight tracking technology, achieving 80% global coverage with more than 4,500 active users in its first year of operation. The network tracks 150,000 flights daily and continues expanding coverage across North America, Europe, APAC, the Middle East, and Africa. The company secured over $9 million in funding last year, backed by investors including Antler, and demonstrated its technological capabilities by launching a satellite via SpaceX’s Transporter-13 mission in February.
This impressive growth trajectory and technological infrastructure make Wingbits an ideal partner for DronePort Network’s ambitious airspace intelligence platform. The combination of Wingbits’ extensive data collection capabilities with DronePort’s AI-powered analysis tools creates a comprehensive solution for modern airspace management challenges.
Beta Testing and Real-World Validation
The University of Montana is currently serving as a beta tester for the integrated platform, with several additional entities in the pipeline to evaluate the enhanced capabilities. This strategic testing phase allows for real-world validation of the platform’s capabilities across diverse operational environments, ensuring the system can handle various use cases and operational requirements.
“meerir is a very exciting tool, and we look forward to working with it,” said Jonathan Cordova, Autonomous Aerial Systems Office, University of Montana. “The ability to talk with aircraft traffic ADSB data in real time and soon see drone activity as well opens up tremendous opportunities for our projects here at the University of Montana. We’re especially excited to participate in the early testing of drone traffic visibility, which will help us improve deconfliction, support lifeline flights, and communicate clearly with our stakeholders. meerir has the potential to become an everyday resource in our airspace work.”
Dual-Use Technology Applications
The meerir platform represents a dual-use technology that applies advanced AI analytics to both civilian and defense airspace needs. For communities and airports, it delivers transparent, human-centered insights into low-altitude air traffic to support safety, planning, and public engagement initiatives. For defense and national security users, the same architecture enhances situational awareness, integrates multiple telemetry feeds, and strengthens decision-making capabilities in complex or contested airspace environments.
The platform’s versatility extends to its data integration capabilities, as meerir’s AI agent analyzes multiple data sources including radar, remote ID, and RF sensors alongside Wingbits’ ADS-B data to create a comprehensive airspace picture. This multi-source approach ensures robust situational awareness regardless of the operational environment or mission requirements. DronePort Network has applied for SBIR funding to explore applications in base operations, underscoring the platform’s potential to support both commercial and military missions. This dual-use capability positions meerir as a valuable tool for organizations operating across the civilian-defense spectrum.
Industry Impact and Future Applications
The integrated solution supports both public and private datasets, offering flexibility for various use cases ranging from urban air mobility planning to insurance risk assessment. As the aviation industry evolves with increasing drone integration and autonomous aircraft development, this partnership provides critical infrastructure for safe, organized airspace management.
“This partnership with Wingbits represents a significant leap forward in our mission to build comprehensive infrastructure for the drone economy,” said Craig Mahaney, CEO of DronePort Network. “By integrating their secure, community-driven flight tracking data into our meerir platform, we’re creating unprecedented visibility into airspace activity. This intelligence is essential for safely managing the convergence of traditional aviation with emerging autonomous aircraft operations.”
Robin Wingårdh, CEO and Co-Founder of Wingbits, emphasized the collaborative approach: “Our partnership with DronePort Network demonstrates the real-world applications of our community-driven approach to flight tracking. By providing our secure, ADS-B data to power the meerir platform, we’re helping create the intelligent infrastructure needed for the future of aviation. This collaboration showcases how our global network of ADSB receivers contributes directly to advancing aviation safety and efficiency.”
The partnership addresses the growing complexity of modern airspace management by providing historical and real-time data-driven insights that enable more informed decision-making across multiple stakeholder groups. As drone operations continue to expand and integrate into national airspace systems worldwide, platforms like meerir will become increasingly essential for maintaining safety while enabling innovation in autonomous aircraft operations.
More information about DronePort Network and meerir is available here. More information about Wingbits is available here.
About DronePort Network
DronePort Network is a national leader in autonomous systems integration and infrastructure development. The organisation works closely with cities, states, tribal nations, and federal agencies to support the deployment of Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations, drones as first responders (DFR), and emerging air mobility technologies. The company’s meerir platform provides AI-powered airspace decision support for various stakeholders in the aviation ecosystem.
About Wingbits
Founded in 2023 by Robin Wingårdh (CEO) and Alex Lungu (CTO), Stockholm-based Wingbits is the first incentive-based aircraft tracking network, rewarding its users for the quality data they contribute. Using custom hardware strategically placed across its global network, Wingbits’ cryptographically secure, provably accurate data contributes to the safety, efficiency and transparency of airspace management. The company has raised over $9M to date from investors Borderless Capital, Bullish Capital, Tribe Capital and Antler, among others.
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Ian McNabb is a journalist focusing on drone technology and lifestyle content at Dronelife. He is based between Boston and NH and, when not writing, enjoys hiking and Boston area sports.
