A world that brings the future fantasy of the 1960’s animated TV show “The Jetsons” to life where individuals are flying around instead of driving may be many decades away. But a first-of-its-kind collaboration announced Wednesday at the Xponential 2024 show in San Diego, Calif. is addressing the expected boost in the number of such low-flying manned and unmanned aircraft already buzzing around the lower altitudes.
Japan-based drone and advanced air mobility company Terra Drone Corporation, announced a joint partnership with two of its affiliated companies to create a global air traffic control system for drones and electric vertical takeoff and landing, or eVTOL aircraft.
Such a system is known as a UTM, or unmanned aircraft system traffic management. Essentially, it’s a version of the air traffic control system that manages traditional commercial and private aircraft.
UTM systems already exist in various parts of the world, but they are operated by disparate companies using different standards.
This new collaboration combines the efforts of Terra Drone and two affiliate companies, Belgium-based Unifly NV and Aloft Technologies Inc., a U.S. company.
“It’s the first time ever that multiple companies are together, focusing on one vision, developing a UTM, enhancing it, even strengthening it,” said Yuki Ueno, executive officer at Terra Drone in an interview.
Development of a global UTM system has taken on increased urgency as the number of low-altitude aircraft such as drones, vertical takeoff and landing craft and short-hop air taxis grows. They typically occupy altitudes far below commercial aircraft at 4,000 feet and lower.
A 2021 report on AAM by Morgan Stanley predicts slow, but steady growth in the AAM industry, with the global total addressable market ballooning from $ 359 billion by 2040 to $2.3 trillion by 2050.
The expected growth brings with it key concerns including technical challenges in ensuring reliable performance, regulatory hurdles in establishing comprehensive frameworks, and operational issues related to integrating AAM into existing airspace without disruption, according to Aloft founder and CEO Jon Hegranes.
Those concerns, he said, add to the impetus to creating an effective global UTM system.
“Proactive collaboration among industry stakeholders, regulators, and communities is essential to manage these risks effectively and ensure that AAM can operate safely and integrate seamlessly into urban environments,” Hegranes said in an emailed reply to our questions.
Even before it became affiliated with Terra Drone, Unifly was an early UTM pioneer according to its CEO.
“Building on our background as air traffic controllers, we conceived the UTM concept in 2012 and established Unifly in 2015 to realize it,” said Unifly CEO and co-founder Andres Van Swalm in emailed remarks. “Since then, our dedication has been to develop and deploy UTM technology globally, fueling the growth of the drone market. As regulations evolve worldwide, our focus now extends to Advanced Air Mobility. We are committed to applying our UTM expertise to ensure the safe and efficient integration of eVTOLs into existing airspace.”
Outside of the Terra Drone-led triumvirate leading aircraft manufacturer Airbus began its own work on UTM when it established an AAM unit in 2017.
In a report published on its website last October, the company took note of a move by the European Union Safety Agency-EASA- in January, 2023 creating UTM standards on that continent, declaring it a good start.
““The current U-space regulations need to be understood as a first step for the integration of eVTOLs into the airspace management. As airspace is global, it will be crucial to harmonise the FAA and EASA regulatory standards for flight operations ranging from vehicle certification to UTM and AAM regulations,” wrote Balkiz Sarihan, head of urban air mobility at Airbus.
As drones and eVTOLs will eventually also occupy higher altitudes for scientific and surveillance purposes, Sarihan predicted a type of “sandwich” UTM system regulating aircraft above and below the airspace managed by the traditional air traffic control system.
Aloft’s Hegranes says whatever global UTM system is created, should be a collaboration between government and companies that specialize in the technology, advising, “by collaborating, we can combine the regulatory oversight of government with the operational excellence of private enterprises. This synergy not only enhances safety and service levels but also fosters innovation and rapid adaptation to new technologies and challenges in airspace management.”
There’s no time to lose. Terra Drone’s Ueno points out AAM flights are planned during this summer’s Olympic games in Paris along with plans for flights in conjunction with the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
But Ueno warns, creating a global system for managing advanced air mobility traffic will not happen in the short term.
“It will take multiple years on the legal framework side as well as multiple years on the functionality product functionality technology side to make it sufficient enough that we’re super confident that we are able to handle all the traffic in a safe and efficient manner,” Ueno said.
This new collaboration between Terra Drone, Aloft and Unifly aims to shrink the timeline a global UTM system can get off the ground.
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