Regulators in the UK and Norway have approved cargo drone manufacturer Windracers to perform an autonomous delivery flight between the two countries – a first for a civilian uncrewed air vehicle.
The handover of an Ultra Mk2 aircraft to customer Norce will see the platform travel over the North Sea along a specified corridor – created by the establishment of a temporary danger area – from Tingwall airport in the Shetland Isles to Haugesund in Norway.
No date has so far been confirmed for the mission, which will see the Ultra Mk2 cover a distance of around 200nm (378km).
Windracers says it is the first time long-distance drone has been approved to fly for civil purposes between UK airspace and that of an adjoining state.
Although covering a specific commercial operation, the flight will provide evidence to support clearance for such international flights in future, the UK company adds.
“This airspace approval is a major landmark for both Windracers and the wider UAS sector, and shows how the UK and Norwegian [regulators] are acting as enabling regulators supporting the future of aviation,” says Simon Muderack, company chief executive.
Jon Round, head of airspace, air traffic management & aerodrome airspace at the UK Civil Aviation Authority, says the regulator made “smart use of existing structures and regulatory processes” to approve the request.
“Innovation isn’t always about new technology or future frameworks – it can also mean reimagining how current systems can be applied,” he says.
Norwegian research organisation Norce is taking a pair of Ultra Mk2s for aerial surveying work in the Arctic.