From 16 October, drone pilots wanting to fly in or through the Flight Restriction Zone around Southampton Airport will be able to request access online or via the Altitude Angel Drone Assist app, with approvals being granted in as little as a few minutes. This new digital service replaces a process that could take up to 14 days or more.
The deployment of Approval Services at Southampton Airport is the second following Aberdeen International Airport, where Approval Services went live at the end of September and is already helping drone users gain access to the airspace.
Richard Ellis, NATS Services New Airspace Users Director, said this second deployment is part of the plan to deliver an ecosystem that can deliver certainty for drone operators. “Deploying a digital flight approval service allows us to do just that, while ensuring our controllers maintain situational awareness of what is operating in the airspace around them.”
Approval Services is aimed primarily at commercial drone pilots. A free service for non-commercial users who are willing to wait 14 days or more for their flight plan to be processed, is also available.
NATS Services expects to continue extending the service to other airports where it provides the air traffic service in the coming months.
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Image: Southampton Airport
