FutureFlight
How the Integration of Drones into Public Airspace Is Clearing the Path for eVTOL Aircraft Autonomy
Thales says it is close to finalizing the design of an aircraft collision avoidance system for smaller unmanned air systems, and that this could be a template for larger autonomous aircraft.
Thales drone
Thales is leveraging its work on integrating smaller unmanned air systems to address how to safely support autonomous operations by larger eVTOL aircraft in public airspace. (Photo: Thales)

Aerospace and defense technology group Thales has been focused on the advanced air mobility (AAM) sector for five years, mainly with a view to how it can support the transformational changes that the new aircraft and operating models will bring to airspace management. Much of its expertise, especially drawing on extensive work with advanced military unmanned air systems (UAS), is being applied to the challenges and opportunities with the advance of autonomous aircraft.

“We’re convinced that in the future unmanned and manned flights will happen in a very harmonious way, but there are big challenges,” Thales Airspace Mobility Solutions vice president Todd Donovan told FutureFlight. “It will become more of a machine-to-machine solution, supervised by humans, but we don’t know how long it will take to do it in a safe manner.”