ROTTERDAM, The Netherlands - Airwayz in Tel Aviv, Israel announced it had completed the successful demonstration of the integration of its unmanned aircraft system traffic management (UTM) and U-Space service providers (USSP) system at the Netherlands's Port of Rotterdam. "U-Space" refers to a set of services, technologies, and procedures designed to support the safe, efficient, and secure integration of uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) into low-altitude airspace. The term is often used in the context of urban or populated areas, where managing drone traffic becomes crucial to ensure safety and avoid conflicts with other airspace users, such as manned aircraft.
During the demonstration, drones delivered goods to ships. UAS offers a multitude of services at ports with shore-to-ship deliveries by drones. This advancement potentially unlocks new services, such as drone deliveries to ships at anchorage, which was previously unfeasible. The integration of drones in this ecosystem enables boatmen to transition from conventional ship-based deliveries to drone deliveries.
Multiple drone operators and operating systems performed tasks throughout the demonstration, seamlessly connected and managed by the air traffic management system, showcasing the advanced U3 services. Airwayz UTM/USSP also integrates with AIS information, adding a safety layer by providing vessel data to Air Traffic Management.
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Airwayz’ artificial intelligence (AI)-based dynamic UTM/USSP is designed to orchestrate multiple fleets of drones in the lower airspace. At the Port of Rotterdam, Airwayz’ UTM/USSP system has been integrated into its prototype U-Space Airspace. The location of the port of Rotterdam near Rotterdam the Hague Airport underscores the importance of integrating UTM/USSP and ATM for safe air traffic management in lower airspace. The lower airspace at the port of Rotterdam has been designated as G-class in the west and C-class in the east due to its proximity to the airport. With the plan to expand the C-class airspace, which entails controlled airspace with air traffic control services managing precise separation and sequencing, the integration of UTM/USSP and ATM within the port is set for expansion in the future.
Since the inception of its U-Space, the Port of Rotterdam Authority has completed a series of drone operation demonstrations at the ports, including managing No Fly Zones and fly-away situations, coordinating simultaneous drone requests with one priority flight, flying over vessels and executing ghost operations in addition to today’s drone delivery display.
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“We are thrilled to be part of port Rotterdam’s U-Space ecosystem, which is breaking new ground in the aviation industry,” states Eyal Zor, CEO of Airwayz. “Today, we showcased our UTM/USSP system’s ability to manage drones operating safely and efficiently across the port of Rotterdam. By allowing manned and unmanned aircraft to co-exist across the port, using Dynamic Airspace Reconfigurations (DAR) services in drone operations, and integrating ADS-B transmitters, Airwayz ensures safe, optimized and efficient operations at all times.”
