The UK government has announced a landmark overhaul of national airspace infrastructure – the most significant redesign since the 1950s. While the primary focus is on improving the efficiency of commercial aviation and reducing delays, this initiative carries substantial significance for the future of uncrewed systems.
Central to the reform is the creation of the UK Airspace Design Service (UKADS), a new body tasked with reshaping airspace, beginning with the congested skies over London. The redesign aims to improve airspace utilisation, create jobs, reduce fuel consumption and emissions, and modernise legacy structures to reflect the demands of contemporary and emerging aviation technologies.
This marks a pivotal moment for the UK’s drone sector.
ARPAS-UK welcomes the government’s latest announcement that current airspace design must evolve to support today’s hybrid skies – encompassing uncrewed aerial systems (UAS), electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, and beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations. The successful integration of these technologies into shared airspace will depend on robust safety frameworks, transparent governance, and meaningful engagement with the drone industry.
Ensuring safe and efficient integration of uncrewed systems into the airspace of tomorrow is essential to unlocking the full potential of the sector.
2 June 2025