Unifly has marked five years since its involvement in the Safe and Flexible Integration of Initial U-space Services in a Real Environment (SAFIR) project to revolutionise drone operations at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges.
Through extensive testing and real-world application, the initiative reportedly showcased the practical advantages of drone technology in one of Europe’s largest and busiest ports.
The project displayed viable and robust drone operations, including surveillance flights, parcel delivery, medical transport, and infrastructure mapping.
The SAFIR project was significant in the operational integration of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) in complex environments like the Port of Antwerp-Bruges. Covering over 120 kilometres squared (km²) of critical infrastructure, SAFIR demonstrated that U-space services could be deployed safely and reliably, significantly enhancing safety by enabling port authorities to manage, inspect, and control large areas swiftly and securely.
Following the success of SAFIR, the Port of Antwerp-Bruges became a geozone manager, overseeing and regulating drone operations within its jurisdiction. To support this role, the Port of Antwerp-Bruges implemented Unifly’s UAS Traffic Management (UTM) platform, enabling real-time monitoring, coordination, and management of drone flights.
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Unifly’s pre-U-space system has unlocked numerous business cases by facilitating the expansion of Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) flights, according to the company. The system’s integration with eID and RF infrastructure ensures robust compliance monitoring by detecting non-compliant drones.
At the same time, the digitised and secure flight approval process has streamlined operations, making it faster and easier for drone operators to obtain necessary permissions.
Bob Spanoghe, Project Lead Drones at Port of Antwerp-Bruges, said: “The port of the future has a network of autonomous drones that fly BVLOS over the port area several times a day and transmit data in real-time. SAFIR project was one giant step forward for this to become reality.”
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Joris Cleiren, Creative Director of SKY VISION bv, drone operator at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, said: “The Unifly platform has been a game-changer for us. What used to take up to three weeks to secure flight approvals now takes just one day.
“This has opened up new business opportunities, allowed us to operate more efficiently and respond quickly to client needs within the Port of Antwerp.”
In the field of drone implementation, HHLA Sky, a part of Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA), recently demonstrated its solutions for effective drone operations in Hamburg.
