ANRA Technologies Leads Consortium to Demonstrate Safe Shared Airspace Operations for Emergency and Commercial Drones
by DRONELIFE Staff Writer Ian J. McNabb
The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) recently announced that a grant from the Airspace Modernisation Support Fund (ASF) has been awarded to a consortium led by ANRA Technologies UK Ltd, with partners Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS), Manna Drone Delivery, and Wing. The project will deliver the UK’s first operational demonstration of multi-UTM service provider support for overlapping Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone operations in shared airspace, directly supporting the UK’s Airspace Modernisation Strategy (AMS).
The ASF is designed to build on the earlier Future Airspace Strategy Facilitation Fund, supporting projects that advance the objectives of CAP 1711 by accelerating airspace modernisation in ways that benefit multiple stakeholders and enable future industry-wide deployment. The consortium is actively integrating findings from the ongoing U.S. UAS Traffic Management (UTM) Implementation and bringing them to Lancashire, where the team will conduct live trials through a multi-phase approach.
The work will “validate interoperability, governance frameworks, and cooperative operating principles for safely managing commercial and emergency service drone operations in shared airspace.”
Stuart Lindsey, the Head of Airspace Modernisation, UK Civil Aviation Authority, commented, “The Airspace Modernisation Support Fund exists to accelerate practical innovation and research that benefits the wider aviation community. This project exemplifies that intent by enabling the operational evaluation of live, multi-stakeholder BVLOS operations that will help inform the UK’s Future of Flight Programme, as well as the next stages of UK airspace policy and regulation.”
Amit Ganjoo, Founder and CEO of ANRA Technologies, said that, “As a UK-based UTM provider with global experience, ANRA is proud to lead this transformative project. We look forward to working with the CAA and our partners to create a scalable, evidence-based model for BVLOS operations that supports the AMS and unlocks new commercial and public safety opportunities.”
The project will deliver a globally informed Concept of Operations and governance framework tailored to British government framework. The team will work with CAA to establish effective collaborative principles to support both commercial and emergency drone services, helping shape future UK policy and accelerate national UTM deployment.
As part of this effort, the project will also assess differences between U.S. implementation and UK regulations, providing recommendations for adoption that align with the evolving UK CAA framework, ultimately helping shape future UK policy and accelerate national UTM deployment.
More information on ANRA Technologies is available here.
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Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.
For drone industry consulting or writing, Email Miriam.
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