Israeli national authorities have initiated an eighteen-month initiative in which, for the first time, uncrewed traffic management (UTM) technology will be used to manage air traffic in U-spaces across the country. They selected High Lander, a leading provider of drone management and uncrewed traffic management solutions, and Ayalon Highways, a Ministry of Transport-linked transportation solution provider, to supply the requisite technology.
The Israeli Government Companies Authority and Israel Innovation Authority have elected to use High Lander’s Vega UTM platform to create U-spaces in predefined airspaces and timeframes, wherever in the country these may be. When a U-space is activated, any party that wishes to fly a drone within this area will need to submit a flight plan to Vega UTM in order to be compliant with the Civil Aviation Authority of Israel. This is the first time that accessing a UTM network has become a regulatory necessity, says the press release.
The scale of this initiative is a step towards permanent implementation of a nationwide U-space. It will create an opportunity to educate official personnel on the use of the system, as well as providing a stress test of a new infrastructure type that’s set to become a fundamental requirement for aviation authorities worldwide.
“Israel has been devoting considerable resources to the development of a national drone infrastructure for years now, and the launch of a UTM system on such a scale is the latest culmination of our efforts,” said Daniella Partem, Head of the Israel Innovation Authority’s Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. “Nationwide airspace management is a huge technical undertaking – we selected High Lander’s platform for this pilot because we believe that it has demonstrated the maturity and scalability necessary to handle this challenge.”
High Lander, which is embarking on this initiative with the support of Ayalon Highways, is a member of the Global UTM Association and a strong proponent of UTM technology standards.
“We’re very excited about this pioneering project which is sure to be the first of many such initiatives worldwide,” said Meital Goren, Director of Autonomous Technology Implementation of Ayalon Highways. “High Lander was selected to provide the UTM platform because its solution has proved its effectiveness over a multitude of demanding projects and demonstrations over the last few years. We feel confident that this initiative will lay the groundwork for a long-term infrastructure in the future.”
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