Photo: uAvionix

uAvionix has integrated its FlightLine surveillance services with Volant Autonomy’s integrated traffic management (ITM) system for Agile and Integrated Airspace System (ALIAS), a UK Government Future Flight Phase III project.

The collaboration, showcased in the Channel Islands and New Jersey Airport, aims to advance the integration of unsegregated crewed and uncrewed operations into the UK airspace system and support beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations for uncrewed aerial systems (UAS).

Following the completion of Project ALIAS in June 2024, Volant Autonomy has seen a surge in interest in its BVLOS-enabling technology. uAvionix’s FlightLine system proved to be an asset in supporting the consortium’s demonstration flights, according to Anthony Lawrenson, COO of Volant Autonomy.

The integration delivers timely and reliable automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) positional data, which forms an important part of the ALIAS traffic information service (TIS). It is crucial to obtain and use accurate positional data joint with primary and secondary radar feeds from ports of Jersey (ATC) to operate Volant’s DAA solution. This solution complies with the RTCA’s ACAS sXu (Aircraft Collision Avoidance System) standards.

During the latest ALIAS trials, the Diamond DA-42 aircraft operated by Draken provided safe and dynamic separation from UAVs operated by SkyLift and SkyPorts. The trials also showcased SkyLift’s unmanned aircraft operating in and out of test sites, demonstrating the realistic potential for multiple airborne services to operate safely within a live Air Traffic Control (ATC) environment.