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Estonian Air Navigation Services (EANS) has partenered up with AirMap to build a custom solution for integrating drones into Estonian airspace. As part of the multi-phase joint project, AirMap will conduct market, business, and regulatory analyses, determine best practices for business planning and stakeholder onboarding, and work closely with EANS, the Estonian Civil Aviation Administration, and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications to create a uniquely tailored concept of operations. The results will allow EANS to accelerate U-space roll-out and serve a growing drone community.
Estonia is at the forefront of European U-space enablement. EANS led the SESAR JU GOF USPACE project, which demonstrated complex international and beyond visual line of sight drone operations, including emergency maritime search and rescue, eVTOL transport, and cross-border package delivery. Several Estonian companies have been testing advanced drone operations such as package deliveries, border security, and long-distance flights.
“The rapid growth of drone operations requires innovative digital solutions to ensure safe air traffic management,” said Maria Tamm, UTM project manager at EANS. “U-space is for all airspace users and we need to take concrete steps to enable the safe and secure integration of unmanned and manned aviation into Estonian airspace. We look forward to working with AirMap and creating a roadmap for safely integrating advanced drone operations at scale.”
These efforts reflect Estonia’s pioneering role as a leading digital nation. Estonia was one of the first countries in the world to digitise and automate state services and has since exported its e-governance expertise to dozens of other nations. Tallinn, Estonia’s capital, is home to a vibrant IT sector and robust start-up scene, both of which include enterprises that are eager to integrate drones into their operations.
“Safe and scalable drone integration will solidify Estonia’s leading-edge business advantages and allow Estonian businesses to reap the benefits that drones provide to the economy,” said Eric McCabe, Vice President of Strategic Services at AirMap. “We look forward to working with EANS to create a best-practice solution that will safely open more of the Estonian airspace to drones.”
AirMap’s Business and Solution Design consulting service is part of a complete set of solutions for UTM and U-space. AirMap has developed deep expertise in designing solutions for authorities and ANSPs including Switzerland’s skyguide and Air Navigation Services of Czech Republic. The company serves a global community of over 250,000 pilots and 2,500 registered developers and its solutions are deployed in over 30 countries from USA to Japan. Estonian Air Navigation Services is a modern and dynamically developing Public Limited Company operating under the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications of the Republic of Estonia, which is also the sole owner of the its shares. The company has longstanding experience in the modernisation of Air Traffic Management (ATM) and Aeronautical Information Management (AIM) systems, airspace organization, and procedures design and implementation.
