AiRXOS has concluded real-world flight operations for the FAA’s first phase of the Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Traffic Management Pilot Program (UPP). The UPP, established in 2017, was designed to identify the initial set of industry and FAA capabilities required to support UAS Traffic Management (UTM) operations.
As a UAS Service Supplier (USS) for UTM, and after the company’s successful participation in NASA’s related UTM demonstration programs over the last two years, AiRXOS was the only industry partner selected to participate on more than one FAA UAS test site for UPP. Throughout the UPP, AiRXOS was also the only USS to support internal and external flight operators while demonstrating live UTM operations through its Air Mobility™ platform at all sites and providing simulated UAS operations across all three programs.
The FAA awarded UPP contracts to the three Test Site partners with the goal to evaluate and mature technologies for UTM, including flight planning, communications, aircraft separation, and weather services for these drones, which will initially operate under 400 feet. Sites selected as FAA-approved UAS Test Sites for UPP include the Nevada Institute for Autonomous Systems (NIAS), Northern Plains UAS Test Site (NPUASTS), and Virginia Tech, Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership (MAAP).
