FutureFlight
Israel Approves First UAS for Unrestricted Operations in Civil Airspace
Elbit's Hermes Starliner uncrewed air system, which is intended for a variety of surveillance and inspection roles, will be able to operate alongside piloted aircraft .
Elbit Systems' Hermes Starliner uncrewed air system.
Israel's civil aviation authority has cleared Elbit's Hermes Starliner UAS to operated in unsegregated civilian airspace. (Image: Elbit Systems)

Israel’s civil aviation authority (CAAI) has certified an uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) to operate in civilian airspace alongside other aircraft and without any restrictions on its use of unsegregated airspace. Elbit Systems says approval was granted this week for its Hermes Starliner UAS, with the Israeli regulator claiming this to be the first time an uncrewed aircraft has received a type certificate covering unrestricted operations in a national airspace system.

The move is part of a wider plan by the Israeli Ministry of Transport and Road Safety, of which CAAI is a part, to reform land and aerial transport regulations. The change could pave the way for wider use of autonomous aircraft, including eventually, new eVTOL models intended for freight and passenger services.