ENAIRE managed nearly 10,000 drone operations in 2024

In 2024, ENAIRE coordinated nearly 10,000 drone operations (9,588). This figure, which represents a 6% reduction compared to 2023, was heavily influenced by ENAIRE's proactive efforts towards administrative simplification and the establishment of procedures and agreements with public and private users, enabling many operations to be carried out without the need for dedicated coordination.

In 2024, the number of operations managed decreased due to the establishment of procedures and agreements with public and private UAS (drone) users, aimed at simplifying administrative work and improving the efficiency of the process.

It should also be noted that, with Royal Decree 517/2024 of 4 June, implementing the legal framework for the civil use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), general UAS zones have been established for the safety of airport operations. These zones correspond to airspace volumes that, depending on the intended flight distance and altitude of the drone, require coordinating those flights with ENAIRE (at airports where this entity provides aerodrome traffic control services) or with the airport manager.

Ultimately, in both cases, ENAIRE, through its Airspace Operations Coordination Department, receives all these requests and processes them, in some cases with the airport manager, and in others, by directly issuing responses to users. ENAIRE is present at every airport in the Aena network for Communication, Navigation, and Surveillance (CNS) services, but it is not present at some airports as a provider of aerodrome traffic control services, meaning in some provinces, the coordination volume is lower.

About ENAIRE

ENAIRE is the air navigation service provider in Spain.

As a company of the Ministry of Sustainable Transport and Mobility, it provides air traffic control services during the en route and approach phases of all flights to and from Spain and overflights. In addition, it manages communications, navigation and surveillance services from ENAIRE in the airspace and the entire AENA airport network in Spain and provides aerodrome air traffic control services in 21 airports, including the busiest.

ENAIRE is the fourth largest European air navigation service provider, and it is a member of international partnerships A6 Alliance, SESAR (Single European Sky ATM Research) Joint Undertaking, SESAR Deployment Manager, iTEC, CANSO (Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation) and collaborates closely with ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization).

ENAIRE has received the highest score in Europe on the aviation safety key performance indicator for four years in a row. It has also been awarded the EFQM 600 Seal for its safe, efficient, innovative and sustainable management of air navigation services.