Drone technology has gone through revolutionary advancement in recent years. It seems the days of using flying machines to move & deliver goods aren’t long away. This technology is already being used to carry medical supplies by certain organizations. Amazon has proposed an air-based delivery service, which is quite complex. That’s why they are dealing with a myriad of safety issues first.
Amazon is thinking about developing a reliable air traffic control system to guide autonomous drones safely over long distances. The National Air Traffic Services (NATS) is the leading air traffic services provider in the U.K. The Air Navigation Service Provider has officially announced its partnership with drone traffic management solutions company Altitude Angel this week. They will be working on a system that is reportedly capable of integrating the Amazon-style drone safely in the skies over the U.K.
David Harrison is the Director of Safety at NATS. While talking about the initiative, he said the increasing popularity of commercial drone operations and the growing number of drone-related incidents “makes it essential that we take steps now to help make this happen, and this new partnership will get the U.K.’s unmanned traffic industry off to a safe, flying start.”
Drones offer huge potential benefits to public services and the economy, with a growing number of organizations looking to increase their use of drones in their everyday operations, from online retailers through to emergency services. However, reports of incidents involving drones flying dangerously close to manned aircraft is on the rise, with drone incidents now accounting for more than half of all airprox reports received by NATS. – National Air Traffic Services
Their work, expected to be completed by early 2019, will offer full integration with the existing air traffic control operation involving manned aircraft. In case of commercial drones, NATS allow only the low-level airspace, making it sure that the airspace given over to commercial drones is properly monitored and organized. They want to be strict and punctual to avoid near misses and collisions among unmanned aerial vehicles even with manned aircraft. Providing a communication channel, allowing the air traffic controllers to contact drone operators as quickly as possible, is their top priority.