Drones increasingly fly over our skies, posing risks and challenges to the aviation sector. Airports are learning how they can best manage drones in the airport environment while keeping the required levels of safety and security. Recognising the need to provide airports with recommendations and guidelines on drone operations, ACI EUROPE has published Drones in the Airport Environment – Concept of Operations & Industry Guidance. Report by Eugene Leeman
The ACI EUROPE Drone Task Force, made up of our representatives alongside airport experts drawn from a variety of backgrounds, first met in April 2019. Our primary goal was to exchange information and to see how ACI EUROPE could provide guidance on how drone operations could be facilitated, whilst ensuring the necessary safety and security levels at airports.
It was agreed that one area of focus should be the development of a Concept of Operations (ConOps) and Industry Guidance to inform ACI EUROPE’s member airports, based on today’s insights.
Since drones encompass various domains, ACI EUROPE actively looked for collaboration with some key aviation partners, like EUROCONTROL, EASA and EUROCAE.
Recognising the need to provide airports with recommendations and guidelines on drone operations, ACI EUROPE has published Drones in the Airport Environment – Concept of Operations & Industry Guidance.
The key objective of the ACI EUROPE ConOps, entitled Drones in the Airport Environment – Concept of Operations & Industry Guidance, is to provide information and guidance to the airport community (airport operators, air traffic control, surveillance units, drone operators etc.) on how they can best manage good and bad (unauthorised) drones. It also gives more clarity and advice to regulation and standardisation bodies like the European Commission, EASA, civil aviation authorities (CAAs) and EUROCAE. The recommendations that ACI EUROPE gives are both for regulators and for the airport community.
The ACI EUROPE ConOps goes beyond the general concept of operations, including background information, a number of recommendations and additional reference material. The aim is that stakeholders involved in airport drone operations can find the most relevant information without the need to look for any other source.
Although the ACI EUROPE ConOps is a first version and work is already in place to prepare another edition, special attention was given to the structure of the document so as to make it easy to understand and use. The document is divided in two parts: the main content and the annexes. In the main body of the text, airports can find information about the roles and responsibilities, airport environment, operational concept, safety and security as well as coordination and communication arrangements. The annexes contain reference material about regulations, operational characteristics, approval process, risk assessment, workflow/checklist examples and a list of standardised Use Cases. Also included is a glossary and list of abbreviations alongside reference documents and useful links.
If your airport wants to get quick information, looking at the ‘recommendation boxes’ is a good start. Some tips to follow:
- Get the Roles & Responsibilities sorted out as early as possible. Actors need to know who does what and the dos and don’ts – for good and bad drones
- Ensure that your airport develops a clear picture of how the airport environment needs to be protected against unauthorised drones and to facilitate the good drones if you have such plans
- Keep a holistic view on safety and security and ensure that drones are fully integrated in the safety and security programmes
- Perform risk and threat assessments and develop “what if” scenarios. Don’t forget to look at business continuity and reputation risks too
- Ensure that your airport gets the incident reporting well organised in order to maintain a realistic perspective of safety and security risks and to improve the system – the lessons learned. Start collecting data.
- Set up a training programme for your staff and act accordingly
- Give special attention to coordination and communication arrangements. This is crucial in normal and abnormal situations and should be a priority in the training programme
- Develop and provide clear checklists/flowcharts for operational managers. Quick reaction procedures need to be developed to allow key players to respond in the most appropriate manner. Wrong decisions or wasting time may have a serious negative impact and must be avoided where possible.
Our goal is for the ConOps to become the recognised reference material for drone operations in the airport environment and that multiple stakeholders will make the best use of it. ACI EUROPE also hopes that the principles of operating with drones in the airport environment described in the ConOps will inspire Regulators and Competent Authorities to embrace the ideas and recommendations and to work together with all stakeholders, including standardisation bodies, to develop technical and operational standards across Europe. This is the first step in developing a concept of how to handle good and bad drones at and around Europe’s airports. ACI EUROPE recognises that we’re all still in a learning phase; more work will be done not only to continue to support airports, and to keep abreast of the rapidly evolving drone market.
ACI EUROPE invites airports that have already held trials or workshops on using drones for aircraft inspections, inspections of buildings, airport construction works or wildlife management and alike to share information and best practices. We also intend to launch a survey to improve understanding of drones in the near future.
If your airport wants to provide input and share experience on drone operations, please contact eugene.leeman@aci-europe.org
ACI EUROPE’s Drones in the Airport Environment – Concept of Operations & Industry Guidance is available in electronic format from this download link: https://www.aci-europe.org/component/attachments/attachments.html?id=964
Eugene Leeman is ACI EUROPE’s Liaison Officer to EUROCONTROL.
