What does the new ATM Master Plan (2025) say about unmanned aviation?

Recently, SESAR published the new ATM Master Plan. In this post, I'm summarizing the topics highlighted, particularly those related to unmanned aviation, including U-space and Innovative Air Mobility (IAM). In later posts, I'll dive deeper into the topics.

The ATM Master Plan is a guide for modernizing air traffic management in Europe, supporting the Single European Sky (SES) initiative. It aims to create a safer, more efficient, and sustainable airspace by 2045 through the Digital European Sky vision. The plan focuses on integrating advanced technologies in ATM, as well as U-space services for unmanned aviation and the introduction of IAM.

New airspace users

The Master Plan 2025 highlights the integration of new airspace users, including innovative air mobility (IAM) and drones, within the existing ATM system. For me, two key points stand out:

• Support for IAM and UAS operations: Enabling operations in all types of airspace, including congested urban environments, through foundational (U1) and initial (U2) U-space services, with advanced (U3) and full (U4) services planned for the future.
• Interoperability and Safety: Establishing a common ATM-U-space interface to ensure dynamic airspace reconfiguration (in controlled airspace) and segregated, safe operations for both crewed and uncrewed aircraft.

I'll delve a little deeper into these two pillars.

Support for IAM and UAS operations

The Master Plan supports IAM and UAS operations, aligning with the EU Drone Strategy 2.0 introduced by the European Commission in 2022. In the Master Plan, SESAR has outlined Strategic Deployment Objectives (SDOs) that need to be implemented, including "SDO 10 – Enable innovative air mobility (IAM) and drone operations."

"This SDO addresses the safe, secure and sustainable air mobility of passengers and cargo enabled by new-generation technologies integrated in a multimodal transportation system. It also helps to mitigate a safety issue assessed by EASA with an elevated priority category ‘airborne conflict with an uncrewed aircraft system'." - SESAR ATM Master Plan 2025

SDO 10 lists four main objectives:

• Integration of RPAS and IAM in Airspaces A to C: Establishing systems and procedures to integrate remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) and IAM, requiring detect-and-avoid systems equivalent to TCAS.
• Deployment of U-space Services: Implementing foundational (U1) and initial (U2) U-space services in accordance with the regulatory framework to support safe low-altitude drone operations.
• ATM-U-space Interface: Establishing a common ATM-U-space interface and dynamic airspace reconfiguration for segregated crewed and uncrewed aircraft operations.
• Non-Interfering Operations: Facilitating simultaneous non-interfering operations for rotorcraft and VTOL-capable aircraft without impacting existing air traffic

Interoperability and Safety

The second topic I would like to highlight is interoperability and safety. Establishing a common ATM-U-space interface is crucial for achieving an integrated environment. The ATM Master Plan, therefore, introduces a layered, service-oriented approach to integrating U-space services within the broader ATM architecture. It includes a business, services, and infrastructure layer, focusing on scalability and interoperability to address the dynamic and evolving nature of U-space operations (or unmanned operations in general). Here, it is emphasized that unmanned aviation will be fully integrated into the 'new' ecosystem.

However, it is important to note that this integration is not limited to U-space operations. It also encompasses IAM operations, which are initially part of the ATM services. This is already established in EU Regulation 2024/1111 (supported by NPA 2024-01), introducing the concept of Innovative Air Mobility and providing requirements and guidelines for VTOL-capable aircraft (VCA) operations. It includes VFR operations with VCAs flown by pilots, i.e., 'crewed.' However, at a future stage, it is anticipated that these operations will transition to being autonomous and uncrewed.

Roadmap

Also, part of the ATM Master Plan is a U-space roadmap. The U-space roadmap outlines the following milestones for 2030, 2035, and 2045:

• By 2030: U-space U1 and U2 services (as defined in the CORUS ConOps Edition 4, and Edition 5 that is currently being developed) will be fully deployed across Europe, enabling foundational and initial support for low-altitude drone operations. IAM and VCA operations will be accommodated like rotorcraft. The development of U3 and U4 services will support more complex operations in dense and congested areas.
• By 2035: A common ATM-U-space interface and dynamic airspace reconfiguration services will be operational. GNSS-enabled procedures will allow IAM users to operate efficiently in controlled airspaces such as airports and vertiports without conflict with other (manned) air traffic.
• By 2045: Full deployment of U3 and U4 services will achieve seamless integration of crewed and uncrewed aircraft in all airspace classes, supported by advanced en-route, TMA, and airport platforms

Based on the SDOs and priorities mentioned earlier, the industry, research organizations, and regulators will collaborate to achieve these milestones. Ultimately, this will lead to IAM becoming routine and U4 services being fully implemented.

A lot of work lies ahead, and I’m ready to be a part of it!

If you want to take a more in-depth look into the ATM Master Plan and deployment priorities, you can download it here.