The Department for Transport (DfT) has announced via the aviation minister, Mike Kane, that £20m of funding will be available to launch new flight technologies.
The funding is designed to advance aviation tech that will support the NHS, assist the Police, inspect hard-to-reach infrastructure and facilitate private-business growth.
Kane and the UK minister of state for science, research and innovation, Lord Patrick J Vallance, have written a joint letter to the Civilian Aviation Authority (CAA) outlining the UK government’s priorities for the unmanned aircraft sector (UAS) sector.
The letter specified that UAS will bring benefits as diverse and important as speeding up NHS logistics, connecting people on the more remote islands of the UK.
The major recommendations to the CAA were:
- Develop a simplified process to enable 2-year airspace change for Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) operations
- Consider noise exemptions for RPAS trials within the ACP process
- Develop options for mandating Electronic Conspicuity
- Updated approach for authorising Emergency Services RPAS operations
- Work with specific operators as pathfinders
- Simplify RPAS application process
In addition, DfT announced that plans are now underway to simplify regulations to enable 2-year airspace change for drone operations.
This will enable operators to fly safely for longer and gather data to inform future services.
Minister of state for science, research and innovation, Lord Patrick J Vallance said: “These regulatory reforms for drones – requiring all aircraft to share their location – will make drone operations safer and therefore speed up approvals, allowing them to operate near airports and simplifying their use for delivering medical supplies – while unlocking further commercial opportunities.
“This is a practical step to cut red tape and a great piece of progress for the Regulatory Innovation Office, growing the UK’s position as a world leader in emerging technologies and helping drive the growth that will deliver our Plan for Change.”
Achievements and innovations in urban air mobility will be recognised and celebrated at the fourth annual CiTTi Awards on 25 November 2025 at De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London. Visit cittiawards.co.uk to learn more about this unmissable event for the UK’s transportation sector!
