The world of flying cars, as envisioned in the 1960s animated TV show “The Jetsons,” may still be decades away. However, a collaboration announced at the Xponential 2024 show in San Diego, California, is addressing the expected surge in the number of low-altitude manned and unmanned aircraft already in operation.
Japan-based Terra Drone, Unifly, and Aloft have joined forces to create a global air traffic control system for unmanned aircraft, known as a UTM. This system is essentially a version of the air traffic control system that manages traditional commercial and private aircraft.
UTM systems already exist in various parts of the world, but they are operated by different companies using different standards. This new collaboration combines the efforts of Terra Drone and two affiliate companies, Belgium-based Unifly NV and U.S.-based Aloft Technologies Inc.
“It’s the first time ever that multiple companies are together, focusing on one vision, developing a UTM, enhancing it, even strengthening it,” said Yuki Ueno, executive officer at Terra Drone.
A global UTM system has become increasingly urgent as the number of low-altitude aircraft, such as drones, vertical takeoff and landing craft, and short-hop air taxis, continues to grow. These aircraft typically operate at altitudes far below commercial aircraft, at 4,000 feet and lower.
A 2021 report on Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) by Morgan Stanley predicts slow but steady growth in the industry, with the global total addressable market ballooning from $359 billion by 2040 to $2.3 trillion by 2050.
However, this growth brings with it key concerns, including technical challenges in ensuring reliable performance, regulatory hurdles in establishing comprehensive frameworks, and operational issues related to integrating AAM into existing airspace without disruption, according to Aloft founder and CEO Jon Hegranes.
“Proactive collaboration among industry stakeholders, regulators, and communities is essential to manage these risks effectively and ensure that AAM can operate safely and integrate seamlessly into urban environments,” Hegranes said.
Even before its affiliation with Terra Drone, Unifly was an early UTM pioneer, according to its CEO.
“Building on our background as air traffic controllers, we conceived the UTM concept in 2012 and established Unifly in 2015 to realize it,” said Unifly CEO and co-founder Andres Van Swalm.
“Since then, our dedication has been to develop and deploy UTM technology globally, fueling the growth of the drone market. As regulations evolve worldwide, our focus now extends to Advanced Air Mobility. We are committed to applying our UTM expertise to ensure the safe and efficient integration of eVTOLs into existing airspace.”
Outside of the Terra Drone-led triumvirate, leading aircraft manufacturer Airbus has also been working on its own UTM system since establishing an AAM unit in 2017.
In a report published on its website last October, Airbus noted a move by the European Union Safety Agency (EASA) in January 2023 to create UTM standards on that continent, declaring it a good start.
“The current U-space regulations need to be understood as a first step for the integration of eVTOLs into the airspace management. As airspace is global, it will be crucial to harmonize the FAA and EASA regulatory standards for flight operations ranging from vehicle certification to UTM and AAM regulations,” wrote Balkiz Sarihan, head of urban air mobility at Airbus.
As drones and eVTOLs eventually occupy higher altitudes for scientific and surveillance purposes, Sarihan predicted a type of “sandwich” UTM system regulating aircraft above and below the airspace managed by the traditional air traffic control system.
Aloft’s Hegranes believes that whatever global UTM system is created should be a collaboration between government and companies specializing in the technology.
“By collaborating, we can combine the regulatory oversight of government with the operational excellence of private enterprises. This synergy not only enhances safety and service levels but also fosters innovation and rapid adaptation to new technologies and challenges in airspace management,” he said.
There is no time to lose. Terra Drone’s Ueno points out that AAM flights are planned during this summer’s Olympic Games in Paris, along with plans for flights in conjunction with the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
However, Ueno warns that creating a global system for managing advanced air mobility traffic will not happen in the short term.
“It will take multiple years on the legal framework side as well as multiple years on the functionality product functionality technology side to make it sufficient enough that we’re super confident that we are able to handle all the traffic in a safe and efficient manner,” Ueno said.
This new collaboration between Terra Drone, Aloft, and Unifly aims to accelerate the development and deployment of a global UTM system that can safely and efficiently manage the growing number of unmanned aircraft and eVTOLs taking to the skies.
