/Solutions Project Skyway

Project Skyway is part of Innovate UK’s Future Flight Challenge Programme. The Skyway consortium are working together in collaboration with the Civil Aviation Authority to revolutionise the world of aviation by enabling drones to travel Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) - extending the distance they can travel, a factor that is currently limiting their full potential. Once drones can travel long distances safely alongside other sky users they can be more readily used for emergency response, search and rescue, the transportation of organs and medical supplies, conducting safer, more efficient surveys – amongst many other beneficial uses.

Leading the project’s consortium, which includes BT, Altitude Angel is building 165 miles (265km) of ‘drone superhighways’ connecting airspace above major cities through the south of the UK. The Skyway superhighway network, enabled using Altitude Angel’s patented ARROW technology, will unlock the huge potential offered by unmanned aerial vehicles and be a catalyst to enable growth in the urban air mobility industry. 

The superhighway ensures drones or UAVs are not required to carry specific onboard sensors to ‘see’ other aerial traffic: instead, it brings together higher-power, better sensors from multiple manufacturers, on the ground, along a sensor network, which in turn is then processed in real-time to provide guidance.  

This means drones and UAVs don’t need to compromise payload, range or efficiency and can ‘tap into’ even higher resolution data, from multiple sensors, from the ground-based network. For operators who opt in, the platform delivered automated flight, at scale, in unsegregated airspace at an inclusive, not exclusive, price-point.  

The sensor system deployments are underway. The first trial flights are scheduled to begin in July 2023 using operators existing permissions. This means drone operators will be using agreements they already have in place with the Civil Aviation Authority.  During this initial phase, a trained operator will oversee all flights in a command centre to ensure a seamless and safe transition.

As the project progresses, by the end of 2023, all data and recommendations will be submitted for review by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). This comprehensive review process will ensure that all feedback from consultation with relevant stakeholders and the necessary safety protocols are integrated into the 'superhighway' before the end of the project in July 2024.