Celebrating 1 year of U-space

What is U-space?

Last Friday we celebrated 1 year of U-space at SkeyDrone. Since 26 January 2023, EU Member States can identify U-space airspace areas where drones may fly increasingly complex operations – beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) – supported by air traffic services provided by certified U-space service providers (USSP). U-space airspaces will be created in areas of high traffic, with multiple drone operations creating a risk of collision.

To BVLOS or not to BVLOS?

Currently, no U-space airspaces have been installed so far in Europe. Consequently, BVLOS-based multiple drone operations are not allowed yet. However, BVLOS flights are authorised over the Port of Antwerp-Bruges area since March 2023, a first in Europe. SkeyDrone created a BVLOS Enablement Framework that enabled this. This framework has been recognized as a “safe to fly” risk-mitigating framework, paving the way for many other drone operators to conduct scalable BVLOS flights in congested airspaces and high-risk environments.

Is it a bird, is it a plane? It’s BURDI!

SkeyDrone’s BVLOS Enablement Framework was developed as a predecessor of U-space airspace under specific circumstances. Currently this Framework is being used at the Belgium-Netherlands U-space Reference Design Implementation (BURDI) project. This project aims to:

implement a U-space airspace concept able to manage various, dense and complex UAS operations in controlled, uncontrolled and UAM environments
make this implementation a reference to develop best practices, standardisation, harmonisation and/or interoperability requirements fostering operational deployment of U-space airspaces in Europe
ensure that solutions to be deployed are economically sustainable and socially acceptable/supported for the benefit of the general public

Within BURDI, the consortium is diligently navigating all the necessary steps, aiming for the actual implementation of the first U-space airspace in the Port of Antwerp-Bruges later this year. This will be an important milestone, bringing us closer to SkeyDrone’s vision of creating a future where drones have seamless access to airspace and will bring significant contributions to the economy and our society at large. Cheers to that!

Learn more about SkeyDrone’s U-space services here.

Latest Posts

Defending Airports Against Drone Threats – Insights from our Webinar

As drones increasingly operate near critical infrastructure, international airports and Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) must adopt effective strategies to ensure airspace safety and security. In this recent webinar, we presented how a fully EASA-compliant drone incident management system is deployed at Brussels Airport. Q&A overview While the webinar recording doesn’t include the Q&A segment, fear…
6 New Features That Put You in Full Control of Your Airspace

At SkeyDrone, we are committed to helping our users gain better control, clarity, and confidence in the airspace they manage. Our latest release brings a powerful set of enhancements to Drone Radar and Drone Analytics, designed to streamline monitoring and give users more flexibility in how they interact with the platform. Here’s a closer look…
Best-in-Class Traffic Information Service: A Game Changer for BVLOS Drone Operations

A Key BVLOS Enabler In the rapidly evolving world of drone operations, ensuring safety for drones flying Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) is paramount. Traditionally, pilots rely on the ‘see and avoid’ principle to navigate safely in the air. However, with BVLOS operations, this principle is replaced by ‘detect and deconflict,’ allowing remote pilots…
First Drone Flight with Active Deconfliction in Controlled Airspace around Brussels Airport

Vilvoorde, 20 March 2025 – For the first time, a drone flight took place in the controlled airspace around Brussels Airport, with active deconfliction between ATM (Air Traffic Management for traditional crewed aviation) and UTM (for uncrewed aviation). skeyes, in its role as Common Information Service Provider (CISP), and SkeyDrone, as a drone operator and…