UK ANSP NATS and unified traffic management company Altitude Angel are to partner on aur traffic management systems for new airspace users such as unmanned drones and eVTOL aircraft.
The commercial strategic partnership, which was announced at the Airspace World event in Geneva is set to “revolutionize the way the sky is managed for new airspace users” said the companies in a joint statement.
NATS Services is the commercial arm of the UK’s air navigation service provider (ANSP).
The partnership will combine Altitude Angel’s GuardianUTM (unified traffic management) suite of technologies and NATS Services’ airspace management expertise. The result will be a service offering that integrates new users into the airspace, while maintaining safe operations for existing commercial aviation customers.
This deal will also see GuardianUTM Flight Approval Services being deployed at some NATS-controlled airports later this year, allowing for digitally-managed UTM flight requests and approvals and enhanced situational awareness.
The partnership will also accelerate Altitude Angel’s roll-out of its ARROW technology, which when fused with its GuardianUTM platform, detects and identifies all airspace users, enabling drones to fly BVLOS and share the airspace with crewed aviation safely and securely.
Guy Adams, managing director of NATS Services said, “This partnership brings together the technology, operational expertise and innovation that will allow us to further support the industry.
Richard Parker, Altitude Angel, CEO and founder said, “This partnership brings together knowledge, real-world experience, and, most importantly, a shared vision for a future where the skies are not just open but interconnected, where traditional and emerging aviation seamlessly coexist.”