Swiss air navigation service provider Skyguide, AirMap, and the Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA), announced today that they have deployed the Swiss U-space flight information management system for drones, referred to as the FIMS. FIMS is an aviation data exchange hub that connects Skyguide’s air traffic management system to UAS service providers with open interfaces to support safe and compliant drone operations in low-altitude airspace. FIMS is a cloud-based, interoperable platform that distributes airspace information, directives, and real-time traffic from Skyguide’s ATM systems to drone operators through a network of UAS service providers (USPs). Participating USPs connect to the FIMS using open interfaces to provide services that support drone operators.

The Swiss U-space FIMS is designed to connect with multiple USPs to support an open, competitive drone economy with a marketplace of drone services. U-space complements traditional ATM systems by facilitating information exchange and interactions between airspace authorities and drone operators.

Earlier this year, Skyguide and AirMap kicked off a U-space automated authorization live market trial. More than 200 operators joined the trial and used the U-space mobile application to plan their operations and request and receive automated authorization to fly in controlled airspace near Lugano and Geneva airports. In the coming months U-space will cover airspace around additional airports and  Skyguide and AirMap will build on the ongoing market trials to move toward full U-space deployment, currently targeted for early 2020.