UAS In-flight Mission Changes: Exploring the Frontiers of Dynamic Airspace Reconfiguration

Abstract

The ENSURE project is a fast-track initiative within the Single European Sky Air Traffic Management Research (SESAR) Programme, addressing the strategic domain of U-space and Urban Air Mobility. Its objective is to define and standardize a common interface and set of core services (also called Common Information Services, CIS) that bridge traditional Air Traffic Management (ATM) with U-space operations for unmanned aircraft. Building upon prior SESAR research on the integration of manned and unmanned traffic in shared, non-segregated airspace, ENSURE focuses on the operational realization of Dynamic Airspace Re-configuration (DAR). The DAR procedures and associated ATC support tools developed within the ENSURE project serve as a key enabler for the safe, efficient, and flexible management of shared airspace volumes. These airspace volumes are predefined and are commonly known as ATM U-space Shared Airspace (AUSA). By enabling the dynamic delegation of AUSA between ATM and U-space regimes, the DAR procedures facilitate the orderly segregation of traffic and reduce the risk of close encounters between manned and unmanned aircraft. As part of the DAR validation activities, the Royal Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR) examined several U-space use cases involving state actors, such as the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN), requiring access to airspace volumes in proximity to the approach areas of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (EHAM). The related scenarios address the execution of sovereign tasks, including asset protection, emergency response, and disaster relief operations, thereby demonstrating the practical applicability of DAR in complex, mixed-traffic environments. This paper describes the results of UAS flight demonstrations in the Netherlands combined with a simulation of U-space services provision and Schiphol approach control, carried out by NLR as part of the final DAR validation activities. The NLR study investigates the critical limits of the DAR processes, particularly in accommodating in-flight mission changes for unmanned movements. Specific attention is given to assessing the timing of airspace change requests using DAR procedures, including in contingency situations. The results of this study contribute to the validation of the details of applied DAR procedures in a realistic operational context and the development of requirements for ATC tools supporting both DAR managers and Schiphol approach controllers, demonstrating their effectiveness in managing shared airspace dynamically and safely.