U-Space - the European UTM approach
The USSP uses various safety systems to integrate drones into manned air traffic, including the UTM, which makes this task much easier.
What is U-Space?
U-space is the airspace element for unmanned aerial systems (UAS). This will be incorporated into the existing airspace, which was predominantly used by manned aircraft. To ensure that this integration runs smoothly and sustainably, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) requires important safety and coordination posts. One of these is the U-Space Service Provider (USSP), which supports the UAS operator and provides remote pilots with information regardless of the operating mode (VLOS, EVLOS and BVLOS). The USSP is therefore part of the European UTM concept - called "U-Space".
What is a UTM?
Unmanned Traffic Management, or UTM for short, is a safety system designed to automatically regulate and simplify drone traffic. According to the European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation (EUROCONTROL), this will create a long-term drone ecosystem in Europe that will also facilitate the integration of unmanned into manned air traffic. The UTM identifies drones, e.g. by means of remote ID, and supports the creation of flight plans, which the remote pilot forwards to the USSP. The Unmanned Traffic Management also warns of special airspace elements, such as no-fly zones, which lie on the flight routes of the respective drones. The display of the air situation picture is also part of the range of tasks.
Advantage for integration of BVLOS/VLOS in manned aviation
The UTM is an extension of Air Traffic Management (ATM), which is already used in manned aviation. It facilitates and accelerates the organization of unmanned air traffic. Furthermore, automatic detection is independent of the operating mode so that the exchange of information is not slowed down or disrupted. The combination of the advantages of the latest rules for ATM and the UTM thus ensures the integration of unmanned air traffic into manned air traffic. As a result, drone flights will become routine in the future and at the same time participate in manned air traffic.
