Foreign media reported: Sophie O'Sullivan of the UK Civil Aviation Authority said the trial marked an "important step" in the safe integration of drones into UK airspace. The UK Aviation Authority has selected six projects, including Amazon's, to trial drones for delivery, infrastructure inspections and emergency services. The country's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said in a statement released today (August 15) that the trial will enable drones to be used in "daily life" as plans to modernize the UK's airspace and integrate new technologies progress. The idea is to test the safe deployment of drones flying beyond visual line of sight, beyond which the pilot can no longer see the drone. Sophie O'Sullivan, director of future flights at the Civil Aviation Authority, said the trial marked an "important step" in the safe integration of drones into UK airspace. "By supporting projects ranging from consumer deliveries to critical infrastructure inspections, we are collecting important data to shape future policies and regulations," O'Sullivan said. Last October, Amazon expanded its Prime Air drone delivery service to the UK, with deliveries expected to begin by the end of 2024. The e-commerce giant has now been given the go-ahead to trial its drones, paving the way for the service to go mainstream. Simon Masters, deputy director of Future Flight Challenges at UK Research and Innovation, said his team would work with the Civil Aviation Authority to accelerate the introduction of drone operations in the UK. "These projects have the potential to transform the way we deliver goods and services, particularly in less connected areas. These new sandbox projects are an important step towards realising these ambitions," said Masters. "The new trials will also help develop plans for how drones can be safely integrated with other airspace users." Launched in 2022, the EU-funded Sunrise project aims to investigate the use of remote tools such as drones to protect critical infrastructure, ensuring it can be monitored and repaired without human intervention. The project aims to ensure greater availability, reliability and continuity of critical infrastructure in the face of major risks such as global pandemics. Ireland is also undertaking several drone projects aimed at enhancing existing services. For example, drone technology being developed at the Tyndall National Institute at University College Cork could be used for maritime surveillance off the coast of Ireland. Earlier this summer, Dublin City Council published its first drone technology strategy, which will see the creation of a dedicated drone unit to oversee the use of drones for emergency services and building inspections.
Amazon and other drone projects will begin trials in the UK. Source: Global Drone Network
2024 08/30
