Testing

Unifly Tests UTM System for Vertiport Integration

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— 2 min read
Unifly Tests UTM System for Vertiport Integration
_Unifly_Eureka
  • Unifly has taken a significant step toward safe and scalable vertiport operations. As part of the Eureka Project, Unifly tested the seamless integration of its UAS Traffic Management (UTM) platform with next generation vertiport systems.

The Real-Time Simulation (RTS), held on July 21–22 at INDRA’s facilities, brought together Unifly and leading partners including AENA, ENAIRE, INDRA, INECO, Pipistrel, and EUROCONTROL.

The simulation was conducted as part of the SESAR Joint Undertaking under the EUREKA SESAR3 Fast Track project, reaching TRL6 validation. The exercises included key Innovative Aerial Service (IAS) mission phases: takeoff, corridor navigation, and landing in a controlled airport environment.

This RTS represents a major milestone in validating the Vertiport Collaborative Traffic Management (VCTM) framework, an essential building block for harmonising Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) operations across Europe. The exercise demonstrated how multiple stakeholders can coordinate flight operations in real time, a critical step for enabling urban air mobility services like passenger drones and cargo eVTOL flights.

The RTS examined critical components required to ensure safe and scalable vertiport operations, focusing on three core areas:

  • Seamless Interoperability: Validated real-time data exchange between the Vertiport Manager (VM), Common Information Service Provider (CISP), and U-space Service Provider (USSP).
  • Human-Centric Design: Optimised operator workload, situational awareness, and decision-making.
  • Safety and Efficiency: Proven performance in both standard and disrupted operational scenarios.

The RTS also explored vertiport capacity, resilience to disruptions, mission efficiency, and real-time adaptability, confirming that the VCTM framework is ready for large-scale implementation.

Key Results:

  • Proven Interoperability across all core systems (VM, CISP, and USSP).
  • Resilient Performance during emergencies, network issues, and heavy traffic.
  • Actionable Insights to guide a full-scale live demonstration phase.
“As Innovative Aerial Mobility (IAM) becomes reality, ensuring seamless, safe, and efficient vertiport operations is essential. This simulation proves that collaboration and interoperability are the keys to making integrated airspace both tangible and trustworthy.”

Andres Van Swalm, CEO and Co-Founder of Unifly

With Unifly’s UTM expertise, the VCTM framework confirms the company’s role as a leader in digital infrastructure for AAM/IAM and shows that the Eureka Project is a key step toward a unified European U-space ecosystem.

About EUREKA ProjectThe EUREKA project, under EUROCONTROL’s leadership, aims to pioneer Urban Air Mobility (UAM) across all airspaces, with a focus on optimising vertiport operations. Collaborating with airport authorities and U-space/UAM innovators, the project seeks to standardise the entire process of vertiport arrivals, departures, and turnarounds by developing four SESAR Solutions at TRL7. These solutions cater to both manned and unmanned VTOL aircraft, addressing collaborative traffic management, disruption and emergency protocols, and network flow and capacity. EUREKA’s vision is to create deployable, regulation-surpassing blueprints for vertiport efficiency, setting a foundation for UAM and vertiport development across Europe and potentially worldwide, thus streamlining operational procedures, enhancing safety, and guiding future regulations and

standardisations.

Source: Unifly

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