Lyttelton Port Company (LPC) is deploying the AirShare uncrewed traffic management (UTM) system as part of a nationwide airspace integration trial. The port’s use of AirShare is expected to last at least three months.
The nationwide project supports unattended aerodromes and large landowners such as ports to monitor and coordinate drone traffic, and provide authorisations as required.
AirShare is designed to reduce risks related to uncrewed aircraft, and enhance situational awareness for airspace managers and drone pilots. For LPC, the gateway port to the South Island, the key motivation for integrating AirShare’s Airspace Manager into its operations was to improve safety and streamline drone flight approvals.
Drone operations aligned to Civil Aviation Authority Part 101 rules are steadily increasing at the port, as LPC staff deploy drones to gather data around asset condition assessments, monitor environmental conditions, and collect images of port activities. Given that the port is a controlled area, LPC does not permit recreational drone flights over its operations.
Increasing use of drones at the port has identified potential challenges around effective safety risk management, particularly around dedicated no-fly areas within port boundaries and other work activities underway. With AirShare now operational at the site, LPC has visibility of all drone flights logged within the airspace around their operation, and has the ability to easily provide authorisation for flights as required.
There are now 12 unattended aerodromes across New Zealand using AirShare as part of the trial, including Tekapo, Pikes Point, Mechanics Bay and Auckland and North Shore Hospitals. Trial participants and drone operators will provide feedback to AirShare which will be shared with key stakeholders such as the Civil Aviation Authority and Ministry of Transport, to inform and facilitate future decision-making around uncrewed aircraft flying in New Zealand.
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