uAvionix has integrated its FlightLine surveillance services with Volant Autonomy’s advanced ITM (Integrated Traffic Management) system for ALIAS (Agile and Integrated Airspace System), a UK government Future Flight Phase III project. The collaboration advances the integration of unsegregated crewed and uncrewed operations into the UK airspace system and supports beyond visual line of sight operations (BVLOS) for uncrewed aerial systems (UAS). It also highlights the capabilities of UAS for numerous airborne applications, particularly as the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority begins to adopt SORA (Specific Operation Risk Assessment) as the roadmap to scalable BVLOS operations.
Following the successful completion of Project ALIAS in the Channel Islands in June 2024, Volant Autonomy has seen an increase in interest for its BVLOS enabling technology. uAvionix’s FlightLine system supported the consortium’s demonstration flights. Anthony Lawrenson, COO of Volant Autonomy, said FlightLine provided useful data while testing the Flyte Autonomy and Detect and Avoid (DAA) systems which supported safe and coordinated operations of crewed and uncrewed aircraft.
The integration of uAvionix FlightLine API into Volant’s system delivered Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast positional data which formed an important part of the ALIAS Traffic Information Service. The provision of acquiring and utilising high assurance positional data in collaboration with primary and secondary radar feeds from Ports of Jersey ATC (Air Traffic Control) is a key enabler for Volant’s DAA system.
As well as providing safe and dynamic separation of Draken’s Diamond DA-42 with UAS operated by SkyLift and SkyPorts, the latest ALIAS trials saw SkyLift uncrewed aircraft operating in and out of Jersey Airport, demonstrating the realistic potential for the provision of multiple airborne services safely operating within a live ATC environment.
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