FAA-Backed Project Trials Cybersecurity System for Uncrewed Traffic Management

Just as air traffic control is essential for commercial and general aviation, so too will uncrewed traffic management be for drones.

Jack Daleo

Wednesday, December 27, 2023 at 03:39 PM ET

Verified

Unifly’s uncrewed traffic management system could provide an additional layer of safety for drone operations. [Courtesy: Unifly]

Key Takeaways:

The expansion of drone operations, especially beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) flights, highlights the critical need for a secure Uncrewed Traffic Management (UTM) system to prevent cyber vulnerabilities.
Unifly, a Belgium-based firm, completed FAA-approved trials for its Unified UTM Cybersecurity Model to establish industry-wide security requirements and a unified certification pathway for these automated systems.
Through over 60 real flights and extensive research, Unifly's project aims to create a foundational baseline for future UTM cybersecurity frameworks, crucial for ensuring airspace safety and enabling safe drone integration.

See a mistake? Contact us.

America’s air traffic control system is experiencing a prolonged shortage, one that may be addressed by the pending House FAA reauthorization bill. But that legislation may also throw a new air traffic-related curveball at regulators.

The House bill includes several provisions intended to prop up the growing drone, or uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS), industry by pushing for greater permissions for beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) flights. The problem, however, is that if eyes aren’t on the drones, something else will need to monitor them.