Jersey has been chosen as the testbed for a £3.7m project that could lead the way for autonomous flights.
As part of the UK government-funded Agile Integrated Airspace System (ALIAS) programme, drones will be used to test aircraft guidance technology aimed at making the skies safer for all aviation.
Ultimately this will enable autonomous unmanned aircraft, improving supply chains and connectivity to the UK and Europe.
UK technology start-up Volant Autonomy is leading a nine-partner consortium that includes Ports of Jersey and Digital Jersey.
Digital Jersey and Ports of Jersey are to host a public Q&A session in September at the Digital Jersey Hub with the lead partners in the project.
Airport Director Robin MacRae said: “Two of our core strategic business objectives are building connectivity and investing in Jersey’s future, so ALIAS is a perfect fit. This is combined with the ability to work closely with Digital Jersey – a perfect example of local entities working together for the benefit of the island.”
Digital Jersey CEO Tony Moretta (pictured) added: “It’s a great example of the attractiveness of the Sandbox Jersey offering that we have been chosen as the testbed for this technology.
"The infrastructure we offer and the ease with which we can connect Volant to the facilities, regulators and services it needs makes us the ideal location.
"The project will see drone flight trials that will demonstrate the opportunities for us to use sustainable autonomous drone aircraft to help transport medical supplies, commercial cargo and perhaps ultimately passengers in the future.”
Volant has developed three products enabling safer flight through risk-aware flight planning and increased pilot situational awareness, and mitigates against airborne collisions. The technology can be used to enhance safety for manned and unmanned aircraft.
Volant is developing the flight guidance technology for use cases such as unmanned logistics aircraft, which could lead to autonomous drones being used at low altitudes to transport items.