What is BURDI?

BURDI is a CEF-funded project under SESAR3 for the implementation of a full reliable, sustainable and safe solution for UAS integration in a U-space airspace and Urban Air Mobility context via U-space airspaces implementation. 

This objective is aligned with a bigger project described in the Connecting Europe Facility 2021-2027 multiannual work program established for the transport sector intending to develop a comprehensive transport network. UAS operations will contribute to this transportation network enabling usage of the most suitable transport mode from safety, economic and environmental perspective. By this way, our project will contribute to develop a smart, sustainable, decarbonised, interoperable, safe and securemobility enhancing social and economic cohesion. But, BURDI project will also foster emergence of new opportunities for UAS usage in support of commercial and/or State activities. Thus, BURDI project will consider several operational environments as well as multiple drone usage types, used for commercial purpose as well as to support UAS usage fulfilling State obligations.

Belgian and Dutch civil aviation authorities are keen to develop the emergent UAS economic activity as well as to assure a safe environment for all airspace users and will support the BURDI project being members of the Advisory Board of the project.

The Belgian ANSP, skeyes, has the ambition to work on a future seamless integration of UAS with manned aviation, supporting activities of all airspace users. Following this strategy for years, skeyes created a daughter Company, SkeyDrone dedicated to UTM matters, and has been already involved in different demonstrations and R&D activities with numerous UTM stakeholders (drone operators, drone manufacturers, software provider, UTM services providers…), including several partners engaged in this BURDI project, creating a common momentum to go forward.

Specific objectives

The project objectives are 

  1. to develop an implementation process, including safety assessment and publication, of U-space airspaces. Indeed, an analysis of the setups to assess validate and publish a U-space airspace will be conducted with all stakeholders involved (authorities and entities) at all levels in accordance with the Commission implementing rule (EU) 2021/664, article 18 f) – WP3 and WP7
  2. to provide U-space services enabling management of various, dense and complex UAS operations in controlled and uncontrolled airspace as well as in UAM environment – WP4, WP5 and WP6
  3. to ensure that solutions to be deployed are economically sustainable and socially accepted/supported for the benefit of the general public – WP7
  4. to make this implementation a reference to develop best practices, standardisation, harmonisation and/or interoperability requirements fostering operational deployment of U-space airspaces in Europe – WP7

Expected outcomes and results

Deliverables will cover technical and operational domains but also legal, financial and societal matters to support a sustainable, efficient, safe and secure deployment of U-space airspace concept in different environment, controlled & uncontrolled airspace and UAM environment.

BURDI project will be an opportunity to evaluate and to propose processes to be compliant with U-space airspaces implementation requirements as well as to define and to recommend some standards and harmonisations. These proposals and recommendations could be considered further by the European authorities in order to elaborate an enhanced set of regulations and directives on U-space airspace concept application.