Compliments to the Ministerie van Infrastructuur en Waterstaat on the newly published roadmap for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone operations in the Netherlands https://lnkd.in/eNbwx2XF .Their proactive efforts set a clear, step-by-step path toward integrating unmanned aircraft into our airspace, ultimately unlocking the full potential of drone technology at scale.
At Avy, we are proud to be ahead of the curve. We have already taken significant strides that align with the outlined actions in the roadmap:
- Leading in LUC Operations: Our Light UAS Operator Certificate (LUC) grants us the ability to fly BVLOS in segregated or controlled airspace over controlled ground areas, sparsely populated regions, and above critical infrastructure. We have worked closely with regulators to meet these rigorous operational and safety standards.
- Advanced Safety & Containment Measures: Avy’s drones are equipped with enhanced containment features and a robust parachute system—safeguarding both the environment and people on the ground. This product maturity goes hand in hand with the roadmap’s emphasis on mitigating air and ground risks.
- Focusing on Atypical Airspace & Tactical Mitigations: In alignment with the document’s interim solutions, Avy sees immediate, practical applications for some platforms within atypical airspace by employing tactical mitigations. Until U-Space services become fully operational, these two avenues represent promising pathways to scaling BVLOS missions safely and efficiently.
- Developing DAA Technologies: We are continuously advancing our Detect and Avoid (DAA) capabilities. Our goal is to ensure seamless integration of unmanned aircraft into the broader airspace and maintain safe separation from manned traffic, fully embracing the roadmap’s vision for the future. Considering the limited number of manned aircraft and the myriad benefits to both manned and unmanned aviation, we would like to see EASA making the use of ADS-B OUT mandatory for smaller aircraft in Europe (light/ultralight aircraft, hot air balloons etc), thus simplifying the efforts of detection and automatically reaching that 90% threshold in the simplest way. This would not only improve overall flight safety but also make BVLOS flights with minimum air risk possible.
Avy demonstrates that we’re not only ready for the BVLOS era, we are actively helping to shape it! Our collaboration with ILenT and the Port of Rotterdam helped bring about the idea of "limited BVLOS" over 2 years ago. We are already looking forward to collaborating with you to open up BVLOS flying further and faster, with quantifiable evidence to support the scaling of operations safely.
As this new roadmap encourages the ecosystem to evolve, we stand ready—fully prepared, compliant, and equipped with the most advanced solutions on the market.