STRAT AERO, UNIFLY TO CONNECT DRONE OPERATORS WITH UTM AUTHORITY

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 25 -- Strat Aero has partnered with Belgium-based UTM solution provider, Unifly to connect drone operators with the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management (UTM) authority.

Strat Aero Malaysia chairman Datuk Seri Azharuddin Abdul Rahman said the emergence of Unmanned Aerial System or drones with new shapes and capabilities as well as operating at much lower altitudes, “is changing the way we configure and manage our skies”.

Therefore, he said Malaysia’s air traffic management (ATM) system needs to have another set of ATM called Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management (UTM) as a critical component in enabling the new aerial vehicles to safely enter and share the country’s airspace.

"Hence, the collaboration between Strat Aero and Belgium-based UTM solution provider, Unifly to connect the drone operators with the UTM authority for safe and secure integration of the drones into the national airspace, is timely to address the issue," he said at the launch of the joint endeavour today. 

The collaboration was launched in conjunction with the 1st Virtual World UAV Summit 2021 here.

Azharuddin said both companies would also explore concepts of drone operations, data exchange requirements, and a supporting framework to enable multiple beyond visual line-of-sight drone operations at low altitude of under 400 feet above ground level in airspace where Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) air traffic services are not provided.

"It also supports air traffic control operations registration and operations approval requirements for drone operations.

"Therefore, both Strat Aero and Unifly hope the regulator, air traffic service authority and the industry will be able to adopt this UTM system not only for the safety and the efficiency of drone operations but also for the other airspace users as well," he added.

During the event, Strat Aero also unveiled the Unifly BLIP (Broadcast Location and Identification Platform), a high-quality drone tracking device providing maximum tracking accuracy, minimal update latency and secured communications to Unifly’s cloud services.

"The device reports the drone position with identifications and a series of other flight parameters using LTE (Long-Term Evolution) Cat 1 cellular network connectivity.

"With the implementation of the UTM and usage of Unifly BLIP, drone operations are expected to increase both in the recreational and commercial domain, inevitably will create job opportunities," he added.

The virtual summit was participated by 300 people nationwide with speakers from various countries and regulator authorities like China, Japan, Greece, Romanian, France, Belgium, CAAM, Department of Survey and Mapping Malaysia, Malaysian National Cyber Security Agency and Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation Sdn Bhd.

-- BERNAMA