The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and Eurocontrol plan to identify a single electronic conspicuity system for drones and eVTOLs flying at low level for recommendation to the International Telecommunications Union meeting in 2027, according to Vladimir Foltin, PCM – General Aviation & ATM Expert, EASA, speaking at the agency’s Innovative Air Mobility Implementation Forum earlier today.
ADS-B and ADS-L are the two main candidate technologies under consideration. The system would be mandatory for operations within U-space but not outside.
The technology will need to be simple, said Vladimir Foltin, to ensure operability and affordability for end-users and comprise a single language, providing a direct radio air-air link for pilot awareness, air-ground transmission within U-space and a second link for other purposes.
Work will start in 2025 to compare the strengths and weaknesses of the candidate systems, with a consolidated “one link” proposal, including transitional arrangements, ready for 2026.
