Following on from our last update (14th March 2023), we have been working with the CAA as a follow up to the recently released TRA Policy Concept with regards to enabling BVLOS operations. We have now entered into an additional development stage with the support of the CAA Innovation team. This will mean that work on the ACP will now be delayed until early 2024 and flight operations are not expected to take place until the end of Q2. To this end, we will arrange further engagement sessions in early 2024.
There will be no formal update to summarise the stakeholder feedback that was received as part of our engagement last year. However, the feedback has been valuable with regards to understanding:
- the viability of our concept of operations,
- airspace usage,
- EC device equipage,
- airspace management and sectorisation,
- emergency and special event access, and
- the co-ordination required with local air traffic units and airfields.
This feedback will be incorporated when we reach out again next year and a formal summary will be provided as part of the new engagement sessions.