Your First April Update

UK Government backs drone and air taxis with £20m pledge

The drone community received a real boost this month as UK Aviation Minister, Mike Kane, promised £20m of funding to help launch new flight technologies and unlock barriers to growth in the drone and air taxi space.

The £20m has been promised to help advance aviation tech to support healthcare for the NHS, assist police forces in combatting crime, help inspect and survey critical infrastructure and unlock delivery services for businesses and communities across the country.  

Kane, said:  “I want the UK to have the most advanced aviation technology ecosystem in the world. 

“That means creating a nimble regulatory environment and a culture of innovation so everyone can benefit from cutting-edge transport while tackling emissions, traffic and potentially saving lives.

“Our investment alongside the new Future of Flight industry group will bring together tech experts, drone operators, flying vehicle manufacturers and local communities to identify where change needs to happen.”

Kane and Science Minister, Lor Vallance, have also set out how the Department for Transport (DfT), Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the new Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO) in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) will streamline regulatory processes to support the commercialisation of the industry.

Lord Vallance commented: “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.”

Furthermore, 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.    

Other changes will simplify regulations to enable emergency services including firefighters and paramedics to use drone services, as well as noise exemptions for drone trials within the Airspace Change Process, and simplifying the drone operational application process to enable them to get flying faster and easier.

The government has also assembled a Future of Flight industry group featuring the regulator, drone operators, flying vehicle innovators and local authorities to help guide the government on its mission to transform technology in aviation. Kane will chair the group alongside Duncan Walker, CEO of Skyports – a Moonrock client.

Dronecloud set for huge BVLOS milestone

Our client Dronecloud has announced it is on track with Network Rail to secure CAA approval to deliver City Centre beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) drone operations for Critical National Infrastructure.

In a landmark development for the UK drone and rail industries, Dronecloud has collaborated with drone operator RUAS alongside drone manufacturers Velos Motors & Evolve dynamics to deliver one of the most advanced BVLOS deployments in the UK.

Working with Network Rail, the team is perusing a multi-step regulatory approval process and has created the UK’s first centrally managed Drone Operations Hub, designed to support 24/7 remote incident response and routine asset management anywhere within the Birmingham region.

Trials being carried out at the new Hub are already proving this potential by recently helping Network Rail and the British Transport Police avoid closing Birmingham New Street station, resulting in a cost saving of several hundred thousand pounds.

In line with the Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) BVLOS delivery model and roadmap (CAP-3038), the 1st step in the journey delivers approval to operate the centralised drone HUB with Visual Mitigation up to 8km of range. That approval proves the Hub concept is viable and showcases Dronecloud’s integrated Flight & Safety Management System (FMS/SMS) and Uncrewed Traffic Management (UTM) platform as the centrepiece driving drone solutions for Critical National Infrastructure (CNI).

The next phase scheduled for spring 2025, sees Dronecloud, Network Rail & RUAS working closely with the CAA’s new Atypical Air Environment (AAE) Test & Evaluation programme team to establish the Hub operation as one of the first in the UK to secure an AAE Operational Authorisation which will allow for the incremental increase in distance, initially up to 10km under pure BVLOS conditions, with subsequent phases planned to extend range up to 30km and beyond.

Jan Domaradzki, CEO of Dronecloud, commented: “Dronecloud’s vision is to deploy a managed service with multiple Hubs and satellite drones ports to deliver a common capability for all asset managers and drone operators needing to fly BVLOS across the UK. This will be a truly game-changing capability, opening the door for centralised mass-scale deployment of drones across all CNI (Critical National Infrastructure). As the industry matures, CNI use cases will help drive the design and development of UTM services. It’s critical for us to be at the forefront as we move into the implementation stage.”

Skyfly’s air taxis covered by the BBC

It’s great to see our client, Skyfly, going mainstream with an article on the BBC website featuring its Axe eVTOL model.

The fixed-wing design has a top speed of 100mph, a range of 100 miles, and can carry up to 172kg (or two people). The craft has been designed as an alternative to helicopters and aimed at private customers.

Congratulations to Skyfly on some great coverage and raising awareness of just what eVTOLs are capable of achieving.

UNSW to develop ‘powertrain’ tech to support cargo drones

UNSW engineers and scientists are building an all-electric powertrain system for a drone capable of delivering cargo to remote rural Australia.

According to UNSW work bridges a critical gap in the burgeoning commercial drone sector—testing not only whether off-the-shelf parts perform as expected, but also that they work in tandem.

Dr. Matthew Priestley is leading the development of the system, which includes all the elements that generate and deliver the power propelling the aircraft, at the UNSW’s Electrical Engineering drone motor testing lab.

Dr Priestley’s system will power an AURA-E (Australian Ultra-efficient Regional Aircraft – Electric), a large, fixed-wing drone in development to one day deliver heavy cargo hundreds of kilometres.

The AURA-E project is led by US-based startup Seaflight Technologies and Macquarie University, along with a consortium of Australian companies and organisations, which UNSW now joins.

Around half of the project’s total $3 million funding comes from the Federal Government’s Emerging Aviation Technology Partnerships (EATP) program, and the work at UNSW is supported by the Trailblazer for Recycling and Clean Energy, opens in a new window, which helps translate university technology into industry manufacturing.

BVLOS hopes grow in USA

DroneLife reported that hopes for a BVLOS breakthrough are growing in the USA following comments by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.

It noted that, on a recent visit to an Amazon Prime Air site, the Secretary indicated that the government would look to develop the rules to allow for expansion of drone delivery services and other commercial drone operations.

The FAA acknowledged the need for BVLOS rules in 2016 so it’s great to see momentum for change finally building across the pond.

UK Civil Aviation Authority appointed to oversee safety standards for drones

The UK Civil Aviation Authority announced it will take on a new role to monitor and enforce new product standards for drones in the UK, improving safety and supporting the sector’s further growth.

On Monday 17 March 2025, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, named the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) as the UK’s drone Market Surveillance Authority (MSA).

From 1 January 2026, drones operating in the Open Category – which covers low-risk drone flights and leisure activities – will be subject to product standards under a framework known as ‘Class Marking’, improving the safety and security of the sector.

The MSA will be responsible for ensuring required standards for drones are met by manufacturers, as well as importers and distributors, and intervening when there is non-compliance. It means drone users will have more confidence that drones they purchase are safe and comply with safety standards.

Sophie O’Sullivan, Director of Future of Flight at the UK Civil Aviation Authority, said:

“This is a really important role to assist in our work regulating and enabling the expanding drone sector.

“As drones become more commonplace in everyday life, protecting public safety and interest is critical. These new powers will help us continue to uphold the highest safety standards across the industry.”

ARPAS-UK ticks off Checkatrade

ARPAS-UK has raised concerns with the website Checkatrade, which helps customers find tradesmen and check their credentials, over the pricing of its drone inspection listings. According to ARPAS-UK some have been advertised for as little as £99 for roof inspection services.

ARPAS-UK has written to the tradesman directory to advise the cost of £99 is too low for a roof drone inspection and warned it “does not reflect the true cost of delivering a safe, compliant, and fully insured drone service”.

The body told Checkatrade: “In our view, this under-pricing not only misrepresents the complexity of professional drone operations, but also risks misleading consumers and undermining reputable operators.”

Celebrating women in drones

It was International women’s Day in March and to celebrate ARPAS-UK highlighted some of the trailblazing female figures in the drone industry.

The body commented: “In the UK, there are inspiring women making significant contributions across drone technology, piloting, policy-making, and more. Their work not only impacts the drone industry but also serves as a beacon for other women to pursue careers in tech, aerospace, and engineering.”

Read on to see who ARPAS-UK picked for its top ten women in drones for 2025