Unmanned aircraft system traffic management

The FAA's near-term implementation of UTM includes the Near-Term Approval Process (NTAP), under which the agency evaluates the safety-mitigation value of third-party UTM services for low-altitude drone operations. The FAA states that NTAP is not a certification process; rather, it is a process through which operators may receive safety credit for using an evaluated service when applying for waivers or exemptions. A further policy milestone came in 2025, when the FAA published the Drone Integration: Concept of Operations, which stated that proposed third-party services under a future Part 146 would support the UTM ecosystem for BVLOS operations. == Europe ==

In Europe, the counterpart to UTM is generally referred to as U-space, a regulatory and operational framework intended to enable the safe, secure and efficient integration of large numbers of drones into shared airspace. EASA states that the U-space regulatory framework is composed of three regulations—Commission Implementing Regulations (EU) 2021/664, 2021/665 and 2021/666—together with associated AMC and GM. Under the EASA framework, a U-space airspace is a geographical zone designated by a Member State following an airspace risk assessment. In such airspace, UAS operators must use mandatory U-space services provided by certified U-space service providers (USSPs). EASA identifies four mandatory services: network identification, geo-awareness, flight authorisation, and traffic information. In January 2026, the SESAR Joint Undertaking published the U-space Implementation Handbook, summarising early deployment experience and lessons learned from projects such as U-ELCOME and other Digital Sky Demonstrators. A further example of industry participation in the evolving U-space ecosystem is ASO Airspace Surveillance, a company based in Bucharest, Romania, which develops UTM software solutions specifically tailored for vertiport operations and advanced air mobility (AAM). Its platform, Skyware, focuses on full-spectrum airspace management, combining real-time UTM capabilities, drone traffic sequencing, and seamless U-space integration. These systems are designed to support high-density, mixed-traffic environments by providing smart airspace intelligence, enabling efficient coordination between drones, eVTOL aircraft, and conventional airspace users. Such solutions illustrate how commercial providers are complementing the regulatory framework with operational tools required for scalable and safe deployment of U-space services in complex urban environments. == Main functions ==

Typical UTM or U-space functions include: • strategic organisation of low-altitude airspace; • digital flight planning and flight authorisation; • surveillance, tracking and network identification of UAS; • provision of geo-awareness and traffic information; • conflict management and strategic deconfliction between multiple UAS operations; • coordination between UAS operators, service providers, and, where relevant, conventional air traffic management and air navigation service providers. == Operation Zenith ==

Operation Zenith was a 2018 demonstration at Manchester Airport intended to show the integration of drones, UTM technologies and conventional ATM in operational airspace. Contemporary coverage described it as a major early live demonstration of UTM concepts in the United Kingdom. == See also ==