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For operators in the Specific category and stakeholders tasked with assessing complex scenarios, BVLOS is not simply about a drone’s ability to fly beyond the visual line of sight. Distance is only the starting point. Turning a technology demonstration into a repeatable service requires an integrated operational architecture in which the flight volume, airspace, C2 link, Detect and Avoid functions, software assurance and containment measures are consistent with the mission’s risk profile.
It is this integration that enables linear infrastructure inspections, medical logistics and operations in remote areas. Aircraft endurance and performance therefore become essential, together with continuity, clear procedures and verifiable management of degraded conditions. The European approach follows a single thread: prepare the ecosystem, make missions repeatable and demonstrate the reliability of the entire chain.
The National Airport Plan and the development of UAS and AAM services
In Italy, the 2026–2035 National Airport Plan represents the first level of this chain. UAS and Advanced Air Mobility are included within a planning framework covering infrastructure, demand, territorial integration and airspace management. Applications range from passenger and freight transport to the movement of biomedical materials, infrastructure inspections and institutional or emergency operations.
The Plan provides for at least six urban infrastructures dedicated to AAM and four in airport environments, as well as the adaptation of 186 existing infrastructures. A straightforward conversion is envisaged for approximately 70% of them, while the remaining 30% would require more extensive work.
It is not a BVLOS programme in the strict sense, but it defines the context in which advanced operations will have to be integrated. Infrastructure, navigation, connectivity, regulation and territorial planning cannot be developed separately. The Italian framework prepares the ecosystem; the next step is to translate it into missions that can be authorised and repeated. This is where the comparison with the United Kingdom becomes significant.
The United Kingdom sets progressive targets for BVLOS
In the Regulator Growth Goals 2026/27, the UK government assigns the Civil Aviation Authority specific outcomes for the progressive introduction of routine BVLOS operations by 2027/28. The scenarios include medical transport links, emergency response, railway and energy infrastructure inspections, delivery services and operations in remote areas.
For 2026–2027, the document refers to multiple consecutive operations along the same railway section, greater standardisation of procedures, further development of the SORA methodology and more predictable authorisation timelines. The aim is to gradually reduce dependence on requirements developed entirely on a case-by-case basis.
The UK model highlights the transition from experimentation to operations: completing a mission is not enough; it must be demonstrated that the mission can be repeated with verifiable performance and mitigations, supported by C2 links that are available and appropriately dimensioned for the operating environment.
The role of radio spectrum in long-range operations
The C2, or command-and-control, link is the channel through which commands, telemetry and the information required to supervise the aircraft are transmitted. In BVLOS operations, assessing it means considering coverage, latency, interference, availability and behaviour under degraded conditions, rather than nominal range alone.
Architectures may combine mobile networks, private 4G or 5G networks, dedicated frequencies and satellite connectivity, with primary and backup links. This is the context for Ofcom’s Enabling drone innovation and security consultation, launched in July 2026. The proposals concern the 453–462.5 MHz frequencies, particularly for rural and remote areas, and part of the 5030–5091 MHz band. A licence is also proposed for detection radars operating in the 24 and 16 GHz bands, with coordination by the UK Ministry of Defence for the 16 GHz band.
The availability of spectrum enables connectivity and surveillance, but does not in itself solve integration with air traffic. The thread therefore moves from communications to Detect and Avoid performance and the reliability of the software supporting it.
Detect and Avoid and software assurance
The EUROCAE consultation on ED-329 concerns the minimum performance of Detect and Avoid functions in relation to air traffic. The document applies to RPAS in the certified category operating under IFR in non-segregated airspace classes A to G. The focus is on the overall DAA system, while requirements for individual sensors are addressed separately. The consultation closes on 25 August 2026, and the text is not yet final.
At a complementary level, ED-356 addresses software development and verification for lower-risk aviation applications. Its scope includes UAS in the Specific category, UTM service providers, manufacturers, developers and verification bodies. Navigation, mission planning, geofencing, communications, automation and emergency management must be based on documentable processes, with cybersecurity integrated into assurance activities. The consultation closes on 24 August 2026.
The two documents address different levels of the same requirement: ED-329 defines the performance of the DAA function, while ED-356 structures software development and verification. Operational performance and process reliability become parts of the same chain of evidence, which must also account for what happens when nominal functions are no longer sufficient.
Independent systems for containment and flight termination
Managing residual risk requires measures that are independent of the normal command-and-control system. The FTS project, supported by ESA Space Solutions, is developing Vixos Beyond: a satellite-based architecture consisting of an onboard unit and a control station, connected through Iridium and supported by GNSS positioning.
The system can receive a manual termination command, activate an automatic procedure when the limits of a predefined area are exceeded and maintain tracking during an emergency. Its defining feature is its separation from the primary C2 link and local radio networks.
C2, contingency, geofencing, containment and the Flight Termination System perform different functions: C2 supports nominal operation; contingency procedures manage anticipated abnormal conditions; containment limits departure from the operational volume; and termination intervenes when the flight must be stopped to prevent more serious consequences.
The project completed an ESA milestone on 30 June 2026. Operational tests and a final review are planned by November 2026: the solution remains under validation and will have to be assessed within the relevant authorisation process. In BVLOS operations, reliability depends on the relationship between nominal systems, mitigations and independent intervention capabilities.
Technical discussion at Dronitaly
The various elements that enable BVLOS operations are brought together at Dronitaly, providing a forum for discussion among companies, institutions, authorities and the research community.
It is through this dialogue between those who develop the technologies, those who define and apply the rules and those who use the systems in the field that the transition from experimental BVLOS operations to verifiable, repeatable and fully operational services can take place.
The event will return to Bologna, at the Congress Center, from 7 to 9 April 2027. Among other topics, the conference programme will address this issue from complementary perspectives, showing how operational capability depends on the relationship between regulation, technologies, procedures and data quality.
The road to Dronitaly 2027 includes two important milestones. On 2 October, Dronitaly returns to the ENEA Research Centre at Brasimone, with the aim of reopening dialogue between the solutions offered by companies and the Public Administration’s demand for innovation. The special event, which remains invitation-only, is promoted by the Emilia-Romagna Region in collaboration with ENEA, ASSORPAS and BFWE.
A further event on the road to Dronitaly is scheduled for 26 November during Accadueo 2026, at the Nuova Fiera del Levante in Bari. Organised in collaboration with the University of Bari, the conference will focus on the use of drones for environmental and territorial monitoring.
Sources
National Airport Plan: https://www.mit.gov.it/node/22054
National Airport Plan PDF: https://www.mit.gov.it/nfsmitgov/files/media/progetti/2026-07/PNA%20DEFINITIVO%20MIT%2015%20Luglio.pdf
UK targets for BVLOS: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/regulator-performance-monitoring
Ofcom: radio spectrum and drone detection:
https://www.ofcom.org.uk/spectrum/innovative-use-of-spectrum/enabling-drone-innovation-and-security
EUROCAE ED-329: Detect and Avoid
https://www.eurocae.net/open-consultation-for-ed-329/
EUROCAE ED-356: software development and verification
https://www.eurocae.net/open-consultation-for-ed-356/
ESA Space Solutions: Flight Termination System: https://business.esa.int/projects/fts
