The trial aims to develop the technology and regulations needed to allow UK skies to accommodate large numbers of drones safely, preventing collisions with each other or anything else in the airspace.
As a result, the six projects chosen for these trials include Amazon Prime Air, Airspectation, National Police Air Service (NPSA), NATS, Project SATE (Sustainable Aviation Test Environment) and Project Lifeline.
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Meanwhile, the trials will include key safety data, including how drones detect and avoid other aircraft, the electronic signals they transmit to remain visible to other airspace users, and how they communicate with air traffic control.
UK Civil Aviation Authority, director of future of flight, Sophie O’Sullivan, said: “These innovative trials mark a significant step forward in integrating drones safely into UK airspace.
“By supporting projects ranging from consumer deliveries to critical infrastructure inspections, we are gathering essential data to shape future policies and regulations.
“Our goal is to make drone operations beyond visual line of sight a safe and everyday reality, contributing to the modernisation of UK airspace and the incorporation of new technology into our skies.”
The CAA invited organisations to bid for participation in an innovation sandbox, allowing them to validate and test their concepts while advancing Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) capabilities.
The BVLOS sandbox is part of a partnership with UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), aimed at building the aviation ecosystem needed to accelerate the introduction of advanced air mobility (AAM), drones and electric sub-regional aircraft in the UK.
UKRI future flight challenge deputy director, Simon Masters, added: “These have the potential to transform how we deliver goods and provide services, particularly in less well-connected regions.
“These new sandbox projects are a great step towards realising these ambitions.”
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