ENAIRE launches GO-DRON, an operational task force for unmanned aviation

ENAIRE has created a forum for meeting with stakeholders from the drone sector, where it can propose and analyse improvement initiatives involving the needs of both professional and recreational unmanned aviation users, as these relate to air navigation.

ENAIRE organises and leads an operational task force for drones with stakeholders from unmanned aviation in order to share initiatives and proposals to improve the sector

Yesterday saw the initial meeting of this forum, called GO-DRON (Grupo de Trabajo Operativo de Drones), where perspectives and proposals were analysed for improving professional and recreational drone operations, as well as the tools that ENAIRE provides to users. Also discussed were the needs of law enforcement agencies and coordination with the Air Force.

Ángel Luis Arias, ENAIRE's CEO, opened the meeting by stating that "ENAIRE is spearheading the development of this sector. This group will help us listen to you, identify best practices and develop new operational concepts such as U-Space".

Through this group, ENAIRE is enabling the debate and analysis of the enhancements put forth to help the sector develop safely and harmoniously, improving the application of the procedures contained in the current laws, and facilitating the debate on upgrades that could be presented to the relevant authorities for their consideration. The goal is to potentially incorporate content from national or European standards to regulate these operations.

The new U-Space concept and the technological challenge it entails will also be addressed by these actors so as to enable its coordinated deployment and implementation in Spain, in which ENAIRE has been playing an active role by leading or participating in various initiatives at the European level, while also developing highly advanced applications to support these users.

The members of GO-DRON, which will hold meetings every four months, are Aena, AESA (National Aviation Safety Agency), the Civil Aviation General Directorate, the Interior Ministry's State Secretariat for Security, the Air Force Staff and the professional associations FEDAR (Spanish Federation of RPAS Professional Associations), AEDRON (Spanish Association of Drones) and APODE (Professional Association of Spanish Drone Operators); recreational users are represented by RFAE (Spanish Royal Aeronautical Federation) and AEFA (Spanish Association of Air Federations).

About ENAIRE

ENAIRE is the air navigation service provider in Spain.

As a company of the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and the Urban Agenda, it provides en route control services for all flights and overflights from five control centres in Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Gran Canaria and Palma, as well as approach services to every airport in the country.

In addition, 45 control towers receive ENAIRE's communication, navigation and surveillance services, and 21 airports, including the country's busiest, rely on its aerodrome control services.

ENAIRE is the fourth most important European air navigation service provider, and, in a clear commitment to the Single Sky initiative, belongs to international partnerships such as SESAR Joint Undertaking, SESAR Deployment Manager, A6 Alliance, iTEC, CANSO and ICAO.

ENAIRE is the official provider of aeronautical information in Spain.