U-Space Concept of Operations: A Key Enabler for Opening Airspace to Emerging Low-Altitude Operations

TLDR

The EU considers opening the sky to new airspace users a political and economic imperative, and the drone industry is expected to generate substantial growth. The CORUS project aims to enable this growth safely and efficiently by developing a U‑space concept of operations for low‑level European airspace, defining three new volume types (X, Y, Z) and their required services. The concept relies on U‑space services, a high‑level architecture based on European air traffic management methodology, and smart, automated, interoperable, sustainable traffic‑management solutions to provide aircraft separation standards for each volume.

Abstract

Opening the sky to new classes of airspace user is a political and economic imperative for the European Union. Drone industries have a significant potential for economical growth according to the latest estimations. To enable this growth safely and efficiently, the CORUS project has developed a concept of operations for drones flying in Europe in very low-level airspace, which they have to share that space with manned aviation, and quite soon with urban air mobility aircraft as well. U-space services and the development of smart, automated, interoperable, and sustainable traffic management solutions are presented as the key enabler for achieving this high level of integration. In this paper, we present the U-space concept of operations (ConOps), produced around three new types of airspace volume, called X, Y, and Z, and the relevant U-space services that will need to be supplied in each of these. The paper also describes the reference high-level U-space architecture using the European air traffic management architecture methodology. Finally, the paper proposes the basis for the aircraft separation standards applicable by each volume, to be used by the conflict detection and resolution services of U-space.