High Lander announced on November 7 that BIRDS, their Sao Paulo based subsidiary, will provide the VEGA UTM solution as part of Brazil’s national unmanned air traffic management (UTM) project.
Led by the Brazilian Department of Airspace Control (DCEA) and Institute of Airspace Control, the UTM aims to leverage public-private partnerships develop the infrastructure required to safely integrate UAS & eVTOLs into Brazilian Airspace.
The project recognizes the rapid growth of the drone ecosystem in Brazil since 2020, with widespread adoption across industries including agriculture, deliveries and security occurring alongside innovation within the advanced air mobility market.
DCEA are hoping that the UTM project will enable zone creation and restriction sharing, integration of air traffic management and UTM systems, real-time airspace monitoring and the development of a broader regulatory infrastructure.
The VEGA UTM solution has been selected to participate within one of the various implementation tests designed to find the required solutions and adjudicate how best to integrate them into Brazilian airspace.
Commenting on the authorization, BIRDS CEO Léo Szterenzys stated that:
“BIRDS is proud to receive authorization from DECEA to participate in this groundbreaking project, and to demonstrate the power of Vega UTM in enabling entire UAS ecosystems to flourish safely”.
The emphasis on safety reflects the desire of both the Brazilian government to manage the potential risks of drone proliferation while enabling the significant benefits. Analysis from Brazil’s National Civilian Aviation Agency (ANAC) in 2020 noted that overly burdensome regulation primarily punishes safe drone operators and the focus on public-private partnerships demonstrates this balanced approach.
BIRDS already provides UAS technology solutions to clients across Brazil who use the packages to ensure their drone operations are in compliance with existing ANAC regulations. It will be hoped that the potential wider integration of the Vega UTM solution will enable further drone innovation and integration within Brazil.
Post Image Credit: High Lander
