The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has approved Windracers, a British civil and defence drone manufacturer, to conduct the UK’s first, civil, unmanned aerial system (UAS) for international operation.
Windracers has been given approval by the CAA and Luftfartstilsynet (Civil Aviation Authority Norway) to fly its dual-use heavy-lift drone, Windracers ULTRA, beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) from Tingwall Airport in the Shetlands to Haugesund Airport in Norway.
The approval process focused on how current day regulations could be used and how best to overcome a range of challenges, including safety, liability, international obligations and environmental mitigations around the planned flight.
This is the first time a long-distance drone has been approved to fly for civil purposes between UK airspace and the adjoining airspace of another state. The approval was enabled by the creation of temporary danger areas, providing a controlled corridor to facilitate the flight.
The airspace will cover a distance of 378 kilometers (235 miles) from Shetland, over the North Sea, and across the Scottish/Polaris Flight Information Region (FIR) boundary into Norwegian airspace.
At the heart of this milestone is Windracers ULTRA, a dual-use drone capable of transporting a useful load of up to 150 kg with a range of up to 1,000 km. Windracers ULTRA is multi-mission and offers an optional 3-door drop bay floor to safely and accurately parachute aid and supplies if required.
Simon Muderack, CEO at Windracers, said, “This airspace approval is a major landmark for both Windracers and the wider UAS sector, and shows how the UK and Norway CAAs are acting as enabling regulators supporting the future of aviation. Windracers ULTRA is already flying real-world missions today. We can now prove those capabilities across international airspace – opening new possibilities for how we connect remote communities and deliver essential services. Many assume the autonomous air cargo industry is still years away, something in the future. Windracers, with the support of the UK and Norway CAAs, is affirming that it is here today.”
Jon Round, Head of Airspace, Air Traffic Management & Aerodrome Airspace at UK Civil Aviation Authority, said. “Our airspace regulation team rose to the challenge by enabling an airspace change request through smart use of existing structures and regulatory processes. Innovation isn’t always about new technology or future frameworks – it can also mean re-imagining how current systems can be applied. We’re proud to have helped make this possible, showing that we are an enabling regulator.”
Lars E. de Lange Kobberstad, Director General at Civil Aviation Authority of Norway, said, “Together with our British colleagues, we are facilitating technology that can strengthen preparedness, protect the environment and improve accessibility—while keeping safety as our top priority.”
