{"id":13989,"date":"2026-11-09T21:06:44","date_gmt":"2026-11-09T21:06:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.anratechnologies.com\/home\/?p=13989"},"modified":"2026-11-09T21:06:44","modified_gmt":"2026-11-09T21:06:44","slug":"uk-shared-airspace-project-advances-coordinated-drone-operations-in-chorley","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.anratechnologies.com\/home\/2026\/11\/09\/uk-shared-airspace-project-advances-coordinated-drone-operations-in-chorley\/","title":{"rendered":"UK Shared Airspace Project Advances Coordinated Drone Operations in Chorley"},"content":{"rendered":"

CAA-approved demonstration enables multiple drone operators to safely share airspace, paving the way for wider adoption across the UK.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

CHORLEY, England, Nov. 9, 2026 \u2014<\/b> ANRA Technologies, alongside Wing, Manna Air Delivery, and Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, has successfully demonstrated how multiple drone operators can coordinate flights in the same UK airspace using different traffic management systems.<\/span><\/p>\n

The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) approved the digital airspace coordination approach used in the demonstration, which brought together commercial drone delivery and emergency service operations within the same Temporary Danger Area (TDA) in Chorley, Lancashire. The operators conducted live Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) and Visual Line of Sight (VLOS) flights using strategic deconfliction to exchange flight intentions and identify potential conflicts before flights take place.<\/span><\/p>\n

ANRA provided Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management (UTM) services for Manna Air Delivery and Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, while Wing utilised its own vertically integrated UTM system. Using the internationally recognised ASTM F3548-21 standard, the systems exchanged flight intentions across independent UTM service providers, with interoperability supported by governance structures and open-source automated testing through the InterUSS Platform.<\/span><\/p>\n

From Operational Evaluation to Scalable Shared Airspace<\/strong><\/p>\n

As drone delivery, emergency response, and other commercial applications expand, the ability for multiple operators to safely share airspace is becoming increasingly important. Historically, BVLOS operations have often relied on segregated airspace or individually coordinated operating areas. These approaches become more difficult to manage as drone activity increases.<\/span><\/p>\n

The <\/span>UK UTM Implementation<\/span><\/a> demonstrated in Chorley represents a step towards a more scalable approach, allowing operators to coordinate flights digitally across different UTM service providers rather than relying solely on separate operating areas or manual coordination.<\/span><\/p>\n

Building a Repeatable Framework for the UK<\/b><\/p>\n

The Chorley demonstration is part of an ongoing industry-led initiative to establish a common framework for shared airspace operations that can be adopted across multiple locations and operators. Drawing on experience from US shared airspace initiatives, the consortium is adapting internationally recognised standards and operating practices for the UK.<\/span><\/p>\n

The initiative focuses on five areas:<\/span><\/p>\n