ENAIRE showcases in Benidorm how U-space will shape the future of drone operations

Today, ENAIRE, together with Benidorm City Council and Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), took part in the technical event “U-space in Benidorm: from concept to operation”, aimed at familiarising public authorities, operators, users and industry stakeholders with the advances enabling the safe and efficient integration of drones into airspace.

The session, held at Benidorm City Hall, brought together institutional representatives and national and international experts to examine the current state of U-space services, the European regulatory framework and the new opportunities created by unmanned aircraft operations in urban environments.

During the morning, EUROCONTROL specialists presented the evolution of U-space in Europe, while representatives of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGAC) outlined progress on the National Action Plan for U-space Deployment and Zoning 2026–2030 (PANDU+), an initiative designed to facilitate the coordinated deployment of these services.

One of the highlights of the event was a joint presentation by ENAIRE and Universitat Politècnica de València on what U-space means in practice for drone operators and manned aviation. The session covered key issues such as new operating procedures, safety benefits, requirements for UAS operations, available aeronautical information and the role of the Geozone Manager in airspace management.

ENAIRE also demonstrated how U-space services work in practice, using its digital platform to simulate the safe and coordinated management of drone operations. Attendees were able to see first-hand processes such as flight-plan activation, automated alert management and interaction with dynamic UAS geographical zones.
 

Uspace Benidorm Presentation, October

A further step towards the operational deployment of U-space

U-space is a set of services and procedures designed to manage drone operations digitally and automatically, enabling their safe integration with other airspace users. Its development is key to enabling new services linked to advanced air mobility, urban drone operations and professional activities that make extensive use of drones.

Through initiatives such as this event, ENAIRE continues to promote awareness and adoption of U-space services in Spain, supporting safer, more efficient and more sustainable airspace management for all users.

Benidorm, a leading testbed for drone innovation

Benidorm was also chosen to host the event because of the role the city has come to play as a leading testbed for advanced air mobility in Europe. In February 2025, Benidorm hosted the first simultaneous operation in Europe involving an unmanned air taxi and multiple drones in an urban environment managed using U-space services as part of the European U-ELCOME project, a milestone that demonstrated the ability of these technologies to coexist safely with other airspace users.

Today’s event showed how the advances demonstrated in that project are gradually moving from experimentation into operations, while giving public authorities, operators and the public a clearer view of the capabilities that will enable drone operations to expand safely in the cities of the future.

With initiatives like this, ENAIRE, Benidorm City Council and Universitat Politècnica de València reaffirm their commitment to innovation, digitalisation and the development of a safe, efficient advanced air mobility ecosystem fully integrated into European airspace.