Germany
Germany intends to integrate UAS into existing airspace structures through U-space airspaces. It wants to become one of the leading markets in the UAS economy with high safety standards. Its goal is to bring automated and interconnected aviation into practice while simultaneously protecting private data and the environment.
With its new legislation, which puts Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947 on the rules and procedures for the operation of UAS into effect, Germany has based the establishment of geographical zones on previous national legislation containing areas where the operation of UAS was subject to limitations. While UAS operations in these areas were generally forbidden or required a special permit, they are now generally allowed when the operator meets the requirements related to that zone and submits the necessary application.
Currently, Germany is in the process of establishing a U-space laboratory to identify possible obstacles and challenges. In this context, it seems to be difficult to establish the necessary actor constellations. For Germany, there must be one CIS in each U-space to ensure that all USSPs receive similar high-quality data (a single source of truth). This means that a CIS may provide its services in different U-spaces, but there should only be one CIS in each U-space.
Their most important considerations are safety issues related to the integration of UAS into already existing airspaces, especially in emergency scenarios that may require dynamic reconfigurations or very fast reaction by USSPs and pilots.
German authorities are collaborating worldwide with the relevant international and European organisations and associations. At the national level, they are working very closely with the relevant administrations of federal States, the drone industry and research institutions on the establishment of the U-space Reallabor.
