Unifly, a group company of Terra Drone Corporation and a leading provider of Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management (UTM) solutions, proudly announces its pivotal role in the €12 million EUREKA project, initiated by the SESAR Joint Undertaking in June 2023. Led by EUROCONTROL, this groundbreaking initiative aims to seamlessly integrate air mobility into urban landscapes by 2026, addressing the growing need for efficient, sustainable, and interconnected transportation solutions.
The EUREKA project is set to revolutionize urban transportation by creating a network of vertiports—specialized hubs for Electric Vertical Take-off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft inside European airspace, connecting urban areas, and facilitating swift and eco-friendly transportation. 35 participants include Airport Providers, Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs), U-Space Service Providers (USSPs), UAM manufacturers and other stakeholders.
The project focuses on developing four essential SESAR solutions:
- Arrival/Departure Procedures to/From Vertiports: Encompassing route and trajectory planning.
- Vertiport Collaborative Traffic Management: Optimizing resource utilization and capacity allocation.
- Vertiport Disruption and Emergency Management: Ensuring preparedness for unforeseen circumstances.
- Vertiport Network Flow, Capacity & Operational Management: Enabling efficient coordination across the vertiport network.
Unifly plays a pivotal role in the EUREKA project, holding a unique position within the Vertiport Collaborative Traffic Management (VCTM) initiative, and leveraging its expertise to integrate vertiports into Unifly’s UTM solution. The project will use certified unmanned Vertical Take-off and Landing (VTOLs) aircraft for cargo operations to validate VCTM at strategic, pre-tactical, and tactical levels, covering all VTOL flight segments.
Validation and demonstration activities are planned between March 2024 and December 2025. The live trial will be in the controlled airspace between Mallorca and Menorca Islands (Spain), within active LEPA and LEMH airports.
Andres Van Swalm, CEO of Unifly commented, "The EUREKA project represents a significant milestone in the evolution of UAM, and Unifly is proud to be at the forefront of this transformative initiative. Our UTM solutions will contribute to creating a harmonious and efficient airspace, laying the foundation for the widespread adoption of UAM and revolutionizing the way people and goods move within cities."
