Steenokkerzeel, 5 June 2024 – SkeyDrone is proud to announce the release of its first public Drone Detection Report. The report offers a high-level analysis of the drone flights detected within the center of Brussels during the month of May 2024, based on SkeyDrone’s Drone Detection network.
The report provides crucial insights into various aspects of drone activity, including the types of drones used, frequency and timing of flights, duration, altitude, distance between drones and pilots, compliance with regulations as well as drone hotspots. It serves as a valuable resource for understanding the evolving drone landscape in the Brussels region, highlighting both opportunities and challenges for public and private stakeholders.
Key Findings:
Daily Flights: An average of 12 drone flights per day were detected.
Maximum Altitude: The highest recorded flight reached 1640 feet (500 meters) above ground level.
Pilot Distance: The furthest distance observed between a drone and its pilot was 997 meters.
Authorisation: Only a fraction of the detected drone flights had obtained the mandatory geozone flight authorisation.
Conformity: 74% of authorised flights at least partially conformed to their submitted flight plans.
SkeyDrone plans to release similar reports for other regions in Belgium, providing continuous monitoring and insights into drone activities nationwide.
Hendrik-Jan Van Der Gucht, Managing Director at SkeyDrone, comments: “This report provides undeniable evidence of the growing presence of drones in the Brussels region. Our findings underscore the need for continued investments in advanced detection systems, collaboration with public authorities, and public awareness campaigns on drone legislation.”
The report is available for download here. For further inquiries about this report, or to request a customized report for a specific period or region, contact communication@skeydrone.aero.
About SkeyDrone
SkeyDrone is a joint venture between the Belgian Air Navigation Service Provider skeyes and Brussels Airport Company. The company’s mission is to provide end-to-end solutions for business needs related to the use of uncrewed aircraft (drones). SkeyDrone offers solutions for lower airspace monitoring, management of and protection against drones for authorities and geo-zone managers, UTM/U-space & consultancy services for drone operators and business integration services for companies. Playing a pivotal role in the implementation of U-space in Belgium, SkeyDrone is on track to make history by becoming one of the first U-space service providers in Europe.
Wevelgem, 22 May 2024 – International Airport Kortrijk-Wevelgem is paving the way for a sustainable future by fully committing to drone technology. The first step involves installing a new drone detection system to ensure air traffic safety in and around the airport. To test this system, the airport temporarily suspended crewed air traffic today for several drone demonstration tests.
West Flanders, a Top Region for the Drone Sector
Over the past years, POM West-Vlaanderen has aimed to make West Flanders a leader in drone innovation. “Together with VIVES, we opened Drone Dock, the innovation and demonstration center for drones in September 2023, next to Ostend-Bruges Airport. In November 2023, we signed an agreement with the national Air Navigation Service Provider skeyes to enable drone flights over the North Sea and between the regional airports of Ostend-Bruges and Kortrijk-Wevelgem,” says Jean de Bethune, chairman of POM West-Vlaanderen.
Seeing is believing
The next step in developing West Flanders into a top drone region is activating the regional airports as future drone hubs. “To coordinate uncrewed and crewed air traffic, we first need to map all authorised and unauthorised flights in and around the West Flanders airport area. Safety is paramount,” says Jean de Bethune. “That’s why we commissioned SkeyDrone to equip Kortrijk-Wevelgem Airport with drone detection technology. Visualising all air traffic is essential if we want to integrate drones. The Ostend-Bruges Airport is also being equipped with this technology.”
Numerous Drone Applications
Drones have many applications. “We can deploy drones for the inspection and surveillance of runways and other infrastructure,” says Jean de Bethune. “Furthermore, we see significant opportunities at Kortrijk-Wevelgem for larger cargo drones. Using these drones can greatly increase efficiency, safety, and operational processes, such as distributing urgent spare parts.”
Surveillance and Safety
Drone operators who wish to fly near a controlled airport must request their flight in advance to skeyes via the Drone Service Application, a tool developed by SkeyDrone. “Our drone detection solution monitors, compares, and processes data from drone detections and flight authorisations,” says Hendrik-Jan Van Der Gucht, Managing Director of SkeyDrone. “This allows us to distinguish between authorised and unauthorised drone flights, which helps to further improve safety in the lower airspace.”
Real-Time Drone Demonstrations
Today, Kortrijk-Wevelgem Airport temporarily suspended crewed air traffic for a series of drone tests. Drone company Droprise flew a drone over and around the airport from an automatic loading and launching platform. VIVES operated the camera of this drone from Drone Dock in Ostend. Simultaneously, a drone commissioned by skeyes took to the air. Afterwards, a cargo drone carrying a package up to 40 kg flew over the airport. All activities were monitored in real time from the control room, with SkeyDrone’s detection equipment recording and coordinating all flights.
Sustainable Future
In a few years, air traffic control for the Flemish regional airports will be managed from a single digital control tower. In this tower, air traffic controllers will receive airport images via cameras on masts in an external control room. The drone flight commissioned by skeyes identified the location to place a mast with cameras to send images to this digital tower. “Since 2016, Kortrijk-Wevelgem Airport and skeyes have joined forces for the further development of the airport. Several steps have been taken since then. With the integration of the drone detection system and the identification of the mast location for the digital tower, Kortrijk-Wevelgem Airport has made significant progress,” says Johan Decuyper, CEO of skeyes. “This demonstrates that the airport is ready to face the challenges of a modern regional airport with a clear vision.”
About the International Airport Kortrijk-Wevelgem
Kortrijk-Wevelgem International Airport has an enviable reputation as a fast, flexible and remarkably accessible business airport. Its compact size makes it extraordinarily flexible and efficient when it comes to satisfying travellers’ needs especially when you consider its central location in Europe and the international reach of the region.
About POM West-Vlaanderen
Pom West-Vlaanderen is an independent agency that implements the socio-economic policy of the province. It strengthens entrepreneurship by encouraging collaboration between businesses and their organizations, knowledge institutions, regional policy bodies, and social partners to create a sustainable, innovative, and internationally oriented economic fabric.
About skeyes
skeyes ensures the safety and efficiency of air traffic in Belgium 24/7. The skeyes air traffic controllers manage over 3,000 aircraft every day, which makes up over a million flight movements per year. The autonomous public company is active at the heart of Europe, in one of the busiest and most complex sections of airspace of the continent. skeyes is active at Brussels Airport and at the airports of Antwerp, Charleroi, Kortrijk, Liège and Ostend. The company relies on its nearly 900 experienced staff members who are at the service of their customers: airline companies, airports, the aviation sector and the authorities.
About SkeyDrone
SkeyDrone is a joint venture between the Belgian Air Navigation Service Provider skeyes and Brussels Airport Company. The company’s mission is to provide end-to-end solutions for business needs related to the use of uncrewed aircraft (drones). SkeyDrone offers solutions for lower airspace monitoring, management of and protection against drones for authorities and geo-zone managers, UTM/U-space & consultancy services for drone operators and business integration services for companies. Playing a pivotal role in the implementation of U-space in Belgium, SkeyDrone is on track to make history by becoming one of the first U-space service providers in Europe.
One of SkeyDrone’s main activities is to provide drone detection solutions to organisations wanting to safeguard the airspace against unauthorised drones, whether it’s for securing events, protecting critical assets, or addressing concerns related to safety, security, privacy, or environmental preservation. With the designation of U-space airspaces around the corner, we recently received the question how U-space will affect drone detection.
U-space is a concept, consisting of a special geo-zone, also referred to as U-space airspace, and a set of risk mitigating services, also referred to as U-space services. This framework aims to safely integrate drones with crewed aviation in complex airspaces or areas where there is a high demand for more complex beyond visual line of sight drone operations.
Before a drone operator can start flying in U-space airspace, (s)he will first need to obtain a flight authorisation from a certified U-space service provider (USSP). Through the obligatory Network Identification Service, the drone operator will be sharing its UAS position data in real time with the USSP. Therefore, every USSP will know where all of its customer airborne drones are flying at any point in time. In turn, all USSPs will need to share those data with the Common Information Service Provider (CISP – in Belgium this will be the ANSP skeyes , red.) so everyone can have access to the real time location data of all airborne drones in that U-space airspace.
In short, U-space sounds like the ultimate solution to get to know who’s flying where in that U-space airspace. However, this assumes that all drone operators comply with the U-space regulation when flying in U-space airspace. This brings us back to the exact same problem we’re facing today: for those pilots who do not comply (clueless/careless/criminal – see image below) and operate their drone in a non-cooperative manner, a non-cooperative drone detection system is still needed.
So does U-space not change anything with regards to detecting unauthorised drones?
Especially for organisations who are not managing a geo-zone, it definitely does. Once a U-space airspace will be designated above their area of interest, they will no longer need to establish their very own geo-zone with associated flight authorisation system as they will be able to receive the data of all authorised flights through the CISP. Thanks to the data that the CISP will provide, any organisation located within a U-space airspace with a drone detection system will be able to separate the bad ones from the good ones, when comparing the data from the CISP with the detected drones.
In summary, U-space represents a significant step forward toward safe drone integration, but it doesn’t eliminate the need for non-cooperative detection. Organisations with a legitimate concern should still invest in a robust detection system to protect their airspace effectively. Learn more about SkeyDrone’s drone detection solution here.
As the skies become increasingly populated with drones, many organisations, including industrial plants, (air)ports, prisons and event organisers turn to SkeyDrone to protect the airspace above their facility or event from unauthorised drones.
Our holistic drone detection solution is built upon three pillars: robust hardware, intelligent software and seamless integration with Uncrewed Traffic Management (UTM) systems. The cornerstone of our hardware component lies in the SENID+ sensors, renowned for their unparalleled detection capabilities leveraging RF and Direct Remote ID signals emitted by drones.
While the SENID+ sensors excel in detection accuracy, we recognized that installation and maintenance could sometimes be cumbersome. To address this, we’ve introduced an additional component: the SkeyBox. Now being added to all our drone detection installations, the SkeyBox simplifies deployment. All that’s required from the customer, is to provide a power cable up to the location of the box.
The SkeyBox comes with a number of benefits. Firstly, it streamlines connectivity management by eliminating the need for customers to integrate sensors into their networks or grapple with third-party modems and SIM cards. Equipped with dual SIM slots and E-SIM capability, the SkeyBox ensures secure, managed connectivity with VPN-secured remote access and integrated firewall protection.
Furthermore, SkeyDrone gains remote oversight capabilities, monitoring power usage, event and firewall logs, connectivity quality, and other critical indicators. Its robust design can withstand harsh weather conditions, including protection against overheating, overpower, overvoltage, and flame retardancy.
However, the main advantage of the SkeyBox lies in its ability to trigger a hard reset remotely, avoiding logistical hurdles and permits to access sensors installed in high, inaccessible locations. By enabling SkeyDrone to initiate a hard reset, downtime for customers is minimized, eliminating the need for complicated software resets.
Empowering organisations with an agile, responsive solution, the SkeyBox represents a leap forward in drone detection technology. Learn more about our drone detection solution here.
On Wednesday, April 10, SkeyDrone operated the first fully automated drone flight at DronePort in Sint-Truiden with the drone being out of the pilot’s line of sight. The objective of this flight was to conduct a remote perimeter inspection from the SkeyDrone operations center in Steenokkerzeel. This test was a collaboration between Brussels Airport, Airport Intelligence, SkeyDrone, and DronePort, organized as part of the ‘U-space in Practice’ event in light of Belgium’s presidency of the European Union.
Drone technology offers a wide range of possibilities and is an integral part of the future of aviation and airspace. U-space, in simple terms, refers to the set of agreements and rules enabling fully automated drone flights on a large scale. The EU launched the U-space project in 2018 to facilitate a safe low airspace for long-distance drone flights, and the U-space regulation became effective in 2023. Given Belgium’s leadership in the concrete implementation of a U-space airspace, the Federal Government organised the ‘U-space in Practice’ event to celebrate the first anniversary of this regulation. A drone operation was set up at DronePort in Sint-Truiden as part of this event.
Drone as a tool for remote perimeter inspections
The use case involved an automated perimeter inspection at the active airport premises at DronePort, using a ‘drone in a box’ (DiaB) platform to conduct what is called a ‘beyond visual line of sight’ (BVLOS) flight. This means that the drone is not always within the pilot’s line of sight, and in this case, the drone’s camera was operated approximately 60 kilometers away, at SkeyDrone in Steenokkerzeel. Such BVLOS flights can provide a solution for inspections in various sectors and for difficult-to-reach locations or areas with large surfaces.
The uniqueness of this test case lies in the fact that, in the lead-up to U-space, the flight was supported by a range of digital services established by DronePort in collaboration with SkeyDrone, ensuring safety and allowing the airport to remain fully operational. Reliable detection of all air traffic near the airport – both drones and crewed aircraft – and the use of a flight management system were crucial in this regard.
The advantage of such a “flying camera”, generating live images and controllable remotely, is that it is not limited to specific angles. It makes inspections more dynamic and provides an interesting alternative to fixed cameras, serving as a useful tool for inspection services. DronePort provides an ideal testing ground for this purpose as a former airport. This use case was successful, and similar ones will follow to align the capabilities of drones with market needs and further develop and implement drone solutions in the form of a living lab.
Learn more about SkeyDrone’s U-space services here.
Many stakeholders including Civil Aviation Authorities (CAAs) and drone operators often ask us the question why we really need U-space, and why we already need it now. According to a survey that was conducted by EASA in January 2024, at least one third of the EU member states is not adequately considering U-space implementation, 15 months after the EU U-space regulation became applicable. This was confirmed to us by the many Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) and CAAs we spoke at the latest edition of the Airspace World conference. The complexity of this new legislative framework and a lack of internal resources often play a role. By the way, several national CAAs are still in the process of implementing the 2019 (!) EU drone regulations and are trying to get rid of a backlog of operational authorisation requests. Other member states have reservations about the timing of U-space implementation. They question why we already need U-space in 2024. So, what’s the urgency?
Within the Belgian emerging drone eco-system we are well positioned to answer this particular question and explain the “why now” of U-space. Our more than 5 years of experience with implementing geo-zones, operating UTM systems (digital drone flight authorisation systems) and more recently also drone detection networks in several of those geo-zones have resulted in facts and figures that cannot and should not be ignored.
The exponential rise in drone flights
First of all, we have found that the number of drone flights has increased exponentially in recent years. You wouldn’t expect it if you stare at the sky on a typical weekday, but it’s true. The picture below shows a heatmap of the number of drone flights detected with our Drone Detection solution near Brussels Airport over a period of only 2 weeks.
It is difficult to ascertain the exact number of drone flights in the entire lower Belgian airspace, but a conservative extrapolation based on flight authorisations issued in skeyes’ geo-zones and the number of detected drones around one public airport results in a number of more than 100.000 flights on an annual basis. In comparison, skeyes manages around 400.000 crewed flights on an annual basis in the lower controlled airspace around the five public airports. Merely a factor 4 difference! This order of magnitude should – in our opinion – more than justify the urgent need for U-space and the emergence of certified service providers taking care of the safety of drone traffic. Additionally, the operational coordination with the relevant Air Traffic Service units, contributing to the safety of crewed traffic operating in the controlled lower airspace, is key.
The cumbersome authorisation process
At the same time, we note that the promising drone service industry faces difficulties growing outside of the Open Category of operations. More than 98% of all drone flights today takes place in this low risk category. The promising potential of operations (and related business cases) in the Specific Category remains unrealised. The main reason being that both drone operators and CAAs are struggling because the SORA-based operational authorisation process is labor-intensive and lacks standardised building blocks. Operators are struggling to get their SORAs right while CAAs are having issues to process those SORAs and deliver operational authorisations in a timely manner. And here too, U-space will offer a solution… in the form of a certified safety framework, a structural and standardized air risk reduction framework that will allow to significantly shorten the lead times for requesting and obtaining operational authorisations.
Collaboration is key
Having said that, you won’t hear us say that the U-space implementation path will be an easy one, neither for candidate U-space service providers who are very often start-up/scale-up companies, nor for ANSPs. These are in many cases as Air Traffic Service Providers confronted with a significant change in ‘their’ airspace while at the same time they aspire the role of Common Information Service Provider. It also won’t be a walk in the park for national administrations who are responsible for the implementation of U-space airspace and the certification of service providers.
According to the survey that was conducted by EASA, the improper allocation of roles and responsibilities among the U-space actors is a recurring issue that prevents member states to comply with the U-space regulatory framework.
Nevertheless, the complexity should not prevent us from initiating the implementation process. The benefits that U-space will bring in terms of safety and scalability will by far outweigh the implementation costs in the long run. What we need at this stage is effective collaboration across borders. Only then we will be able to roll out U-space throughout Europe in a defragmented and harmonised way.
Learn more about SkeyDrone’s U-space services here.
Geneva, 20 March 2024 – At Airspace World 2024 in Geneva, SkeyDrone has been honored with the runner-up award in the category “Integration of drones/AAM” with our Drone Detection as-a-Service solution. This recognition, presented by Air Traffic Management Magazine in collaboration with CANSO, highlights SkeyDrone’s commitment to advancing drone technology in aviation.
The Air Traffic Management Awards aim to encourage pioneering concepts and acknowledge significant achievements by leaders, initiatives, and organisations in the aviation industry. This year, the “Integration of Drones/AAM” category saw a record number of entries, making the competition tougher than ever.
SkeyDrone’s award-winning Drone Detection as-a-Service solution boasts an exceptionally high detection rate and effectively distinguishes authorised drone operations from unauthorised drone activities. Since its successful deployment at events like Tomorrowland in 2023, where it helped confiscate 12 illegal drones, the solution has been adopted by many organisations safeguarding critical infrastructure.
Expressing pride in SkeyDrone’s achievement, Hendrik-Jan Van Der Gucht, Managing Director at SkeyDrone, emphasized the company’s unique position as the only startup recognized at the awards. “Winning this award among tough competition is a testament to the dedication of the SkeyDrone team. We’re proud to be the only startup honored, showing our commitment to innovation in aviation.”
About SkeyDrone
SkeyDrone is a joint venture between the Belgian Air Navigation Service Provider skeyes and Brussels Airport Company. The company’s mission is to provide end-to-end solutions for business needs related to the use of uncrewed aircraft (drones). SkeyDrone offers solutions for lower airspace monitoring, management of and protection against drones for authorities and geo-zone managers, UTM/U-space & consultancy services for drone operators and business integration services for companies. Playing a pivotal role in the implementation of U-space in Belgium, SkeyDrone is on track to make history by becoming one of the first U-space service providers in Europe.
As the skies become increasingly populated with drones, ensuring safety and security has become a critical concern. From industrial facilities, (air)ports and prisons to outdoor events, the need for robust drone detection capabilities cannot be overstated. Unfortunately, traditional security measures often fall short in detecting and mitigating the risks posed by unauthorised drones.
In our recent webinar, we explained how SkeyDrone’s Drone Detection as-a-Service offering can protect the airspace above facilities with critical infrastructure or outdoor events from unauthorised drones.
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Q&A overview
While the webinar recording doesn’t include the Q&A segment, fear not! We’ve meticulously curated the most burning questions and their insightful answers right here.
Q: Can all kinds of drones be detected? I’m still flying with my old Phantom 4 drone which doesn’t have Direct Remote ID. I guess that means you guys cannot detect me?
A: All drones that operate through an RF-based command and control link, i.e. that have a radio link between the drone and the ground control station operated by the pilot, can be detected. Our system is able to detect both cooperative (= Remote ID equipped) drones and non-cooperative drones.
Q: Is there a minimum height necessary for the UAS to be detected? What about the distance to the sensor and detection?
A: The laws of physics do unfortunately also apply to our drone detection system. We detect drones through a growing network of distributed receivers (please get in touch with us to learn in which regions we already provide permanent coverage). Only drones that are in direct view (i.e. RF line-of-sight) of one or more receivers are successfully detected. We therefore pay great attention to the optimal placement of our receivers. The terrain (profile) and obstacles surrounding a receiver determine the minimum drone detection height, currently ranging from 0 to 50 m above ground level.
Q: Basically, every drone will be detected and need to be labelled manually?
A: The system automatically labels all drones being detected. Labelling includes adding relevant classification and identification characteristics such as drone make & type, serial number, operator registration ID (if available) and so on.
Q: Can you detect drones that are programmed upfront to follow a GPS path without an active connection with an operator?
A: It’s not because a drone is executing an pre-programmed flight path, that it doesn’t have a control link. Even if the drone is flying in an automated mode, it’s still not autonomous. The drone will still have an active radio link with a ground station, whether it’s a portable or a fixed ground station. That radio link (aka command and control link) is being detected and decoded by our system.
Q: Any plans for BVLOS detection and how to locate the pilot in this case? Do you work on detecting 5G drones?
A: Today, most BVLOS flights are still operated via a direct RF link. In these conditions, the pilot’s position can be located, even if it’s far away from the drone. We’re currently working on a passive radar solution to also detect drones operated through a 4G or 5G connection. By the way, most 4G/5G drones are operated by professionals who already supply their telemetry data to SkeyDrone. Such telemetry data exchanges (over the internet) will become one of the standard modes of operation (aka Network Remote ID) in U-space, with SkeyDrone acting as U-space service provider in Belgium and abroad.
Q: Operators in the CRIMINAL category are of highest interest for law enforcement authorities and some are flying self-made drones, part of the 5% of non-commercial drones not detected by your system. How are you tackling this to convince customers?
A: Even when flying a self-made drone, most of them still need some control during the flight by means of an active RF link (for command and control purposes). However, there are definitely some drones that are hard to detect through RF. Depending on the specific risk context (of the area requiring protection) and the outcome of a risk assessment (which should always precede the investment in a drone detection solution), additional risk mitigation measures such as adding other, complementary drone detection technologies (radar, optical) might be recommended.
Q: You were talking about “interception” commands at a certain point in the presentation, but as far as I know, right now regular commercial entities are not allowed to intercept or take over a drone. Also it raises a touchy subject of responsibility.
A: You are probably referring to the use of jammers. The use of such devices is strictly regulated by law (ref.: Article 15 of the Belgian law on Electronic communication dated 13 June 2005, latest update from December 2023) and is reserved for certain categories of public stakeholders (including Defence and police). Criminal drone flights targeting one’s critical infrastructure could be countered by other types of ‘interception’, ranging from a soft interception (i.e. the real-time localisation and capturing of the drone pilot, requiring a close collaboration with the concerned local police force), to some types of hard interception such as using oneself a drone to counter the criminal drone.
Want to learn more about our Drone Detection as-a-Service solution? Take a look at our product page.
Steenokkerzeel, 13 March 2024 – Belgian Air Navigation Service Provider skeyes and Belgian Defence will be launching the Drone & Aerial Activities platform in the coming weeks. This state-of-the art new digital platform, developed by SkeyDrone, will revolutionize the approval process for special air activities including survey flights, parachutes, fireworks and more taking place within controlled airspace.
Building upon the success of the Drone Service Application implemented in 2021, the Drone & Aerial Activities platform now complements Belgium’s lower airspace and traffic management strategy, ensuring the safe integration of both drones and special air activities. Through strategic deconfliction, collisions between uncrewed traffic and special activities within controlled airspace will be mitigated, guaranteeing the safety of all airspace users.
Annually, skeyes and Defence receive approximately 1,000 requests for special air activities, managed by a team of four civil and military experts in the Special Activities Coordination Cell. With the introduction of the Drone & Aerial Activities platform, this process will undergo a significant transformation, now featuring streamlined and semi-automated approval processes. The platform offers a digital workflow, integrated rule engine, automatic altitude conversion, and multi-stakeholder authorization capabilities.
Peggy Devestel, Chief Operating Officer at skeyes, remarked, “The implementation of the Drone & Aerial Activities platform marks a significant milestone in simplifying the special air activity approval process, benefiting both requesters and approvers by enhancing efficiency.”
LtKol Nancy Lesire, Base Commander of the Air Traffic Control Center (ATCC), underlines, “The implementation of the Drone & Aerial Activities platform is a considerable achievement for all stakeholders. It will ensure a more efficient and transparent coordination, facilitating a smoother handling of both military and civilian special activity requests.”
Hendrik-Jan Van Der Gucht, Managing Director at SkeyDrone, emphasized, “As the volume of drones in the airspace continues to rise, the implementation of the Drone & Aerial Activities platform will contribute to the safety of all lower airspace users. This implementation reaffirms our position as a comprehensive Lower Airspace Authorization Platform provider.”
About skeyes
skeyes ensures the safety and efficiency of air traffic in Belgium 24/7. The skeyes air traffic controllers manage over 3,000 aircraft every day, which makes up over a million flight movements per year. The autonomous public company is active at the heart of Europe, in one of the busiest and most complex sections of airspace of the continent. skeyes is active at Brussels Airport and at the airports of Antwerp, Charleroi, Kortrijk, Liège and Ostend. The company relies on its nearly 900 experienced staff members who are at the service of their customers: airline companies, airports, the aviation sector and the authorities.
About SkeyDrone
SkeyDrone is a joint venture between the Belgian Air Navigation Service Provider skeyes and Brussels Airport Company. The company’s mission is to provide end-to-end solutions for business needs related to the use of uncrewed aircraft (drones). SkeyDrone offers solutions for lower airspace monitoring, management of and protection against drones for authorities and geo-zone managers, UTM/U-space & consultancy services for drone operators and business integration services for companies. Playing a pivotal role in the implementation of U-space in Belgium, SkeyDrone is on track to make history by becoming one of the first U-space service providers in Europe.
About ATCC
The ATCC (Air Traffic Control Center) is a military unit, located at the premises of skeyes. The unit supports the operations of the Air Component by delivering air traffic services, managing the Belgian airspace in a flexible and dynamic way, disseminating aeronautical information and providing specific courses and training in the domain of air traffic management. In close cooperation with the national and international civil partners, ATCC guarantees daily the flight safety of the military flights in Belgium.
Did you notice that SkeyDrone’s website got a makeover? Our new website now boasts a sleek design, with concise text and captivating visuals, promising a more immersive browsing experience. But that’s just the beginning – stay tuned as we unveil a dedicated page featuring inspiring customer stories in the weeks to come!
Aviation is no longer a man’s world
The careful reader will have noticed another change. We no longer talk about “unmanned” but we now use “uncrewed” instead. With this change we’re following the example of leading aviation organisations such as EASA, AUVSI and FAA who have all adopted the term “uncrewed” to describe autonomous or remotely operated vehicles.
The term unmanned has been rightly identified as gender-based and failing to reflect the diversity of individuals contributing to the aviation industry. By embracing gender-neutral language, we show our commitment towards a more inclusive future, acknowledging that everyone is vital in the aviation industry. By changing the everyday language used within this sector, young women and children may be encouraged to pursue a career in the aviation industry.
Inclusivity accelerates innovation
Historically the aviation industry has struggled with gender disparity, with female representation lagging behind. According to Dronegirl, female drone pilots represent approximately 8%of all drone pilots in the United States. However, this number has been steadily increasing over the years, doubling since 2016.
Research from HBR confirms that gender-loaded language reinforces inaccurate assumptions about the roles that men and women should occupy — and can successfully reach — in the workplace. Additionally, nonbinary colleagues struggle to be accepted in workplaces that haven’t adopted pronouns and other vocabulary that affirms their identities.
Through this change, we aim to empower and inspire women to explore careers in uncrewed aviation. Join us in embracing inclusivity and innovation as you navigate through our new website!
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