Airbus and MIT Assess How Fairness Principles Might Apply to Air Traffic Management For eVTOL Aircraft and Drones
The partners have devised what they call a Fairness Engine to assess how to prioritize access to airspace, primarily for eVTOL aircraft and drones that can't file flight plans on a first-come, first-served basis.
Just like uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS, aka drones), eVTOL aircraft require access to low-altitude airspace in and around cities to operate productively. They also need to fly in existing controlled airspace alongside larger aircraft, especially in close proximity to airports.
Many technology specialists are intently focused on how these requirements can be met safely, but the envisaged new approach to so-called uncrewed traffic management (UTM) also raises important questions about market access and equitable use of public resources, including airspace and landing sites.
