ENAIRE showcases its role as a U-space operator in a drone trial

ENAIRE held an outreach event today at its headquarters in Madrid, at the Kudos Innovation Campus Las Mercedes, entitled “Drones: Present and Future with U-space”. The session was opened by the Director of Strategy and Innovation, Mariluz de Mateo, and moderated by Daniel García-Monteavaro, Head of ENAIRE’s Drone Business Development Department. 

ENAIRE has spent years testing this EU-defined concept for the digital and automated management of drone flights 

Throughout the day, several ENAIRE units gave presentations on the coordination efforts and safety studies carried out in recent years. They showcased drone use cases such as the calibration of air navigation aids, and provided an introduction to U-space along with one of its most prominent European projects: U-ELCOME. 

“This event has allowed us to share with our staff and guests the level of maturity ENAIRE has reached in the provision of U-space services, which will soon enable us to move forward with certification by AESA as both a CISP and a USSP”, said Mariluz de Mateo. 

Following the presentations, a live demonstration was held in the gardens of the complex, featuring two drones flying simultaneously and controlled by ENAIRE as USSP via its U-space platform. Simulating the Kudos complex as part of U-space airspace—since it lies within controlled airspace managed by ATC services from the Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport tower, operated by ENAIRE—a dynamic airspace reconfiguration (DAR) was activated, as a result of which both drones were required to land to clear the area for crewed aircraft operations. 

Background 

Until 2020, the coordination of drone operations within ENAIRE was minimal, accounting for well below 10% of all non-standard operations in airspace under ENAIRE's responsibility. The beginning of the current decade saw a sharp increase in the demand for coordination of such operations, which now represent around 75% of the total. In 2024 alone, approximately 10,000 drone operations have been individually coordinated through the Operational Coordination Department (COOP). 

ENAIRE has responded to this technological shift with two platforms: planea.enaire.es (for aerial work) and drones.enaire.es (which provides the necessary information for flying drones safely). 

The European Union, within the framework of the Digital European Sky, launched the future U-space concept as a set of digital services and specific procedures designed to enable the safe, efficient, and automated management of drones in airspace, particularly in areas with a high density of operations or near airports. 

As part of the U-space rollout, ENAIRE has been designated as the sole Common Information Services Provider (CISP) in Spain. Through its digital U-space platform, ENAIRE will act as a data facilitator between traditional air traffic service providers and the new digital services for drone operations, ensuring safe, efficient, and automated integration into designated U-space airspaces. 

In addition, ENAIRE plans to become certified as a U-space service provider, which will drive technological innovation and the development of new digital solutions in the field of unmanned traffic. 

Through this event, ENAIRE reinforces its commitment to outreach, air safety, and the promotion of new models of urban and sustainable air mobility.