The Island of Jersey has started work on a UK-government-funded Agile Integrated Airspace System (ALIAS) programme, which will see the island become a testbed for drone based search-and-rescue operations, fisheries patrols and eventually air taxis.
According to the Jersey Evening Post Jersey Airport director Robin MacRae said: ‘We see ALIAS as a great opportunity, not just for Ports, but for the Channel Islands. It will enable us to move essential medical supplies, bolster our search-and-rescue capability and eventually provide air taxi services with the Channel Islands.
‘Sustainability is also important to us. We want to make swift progress on the decarbonisation of aviation so we are keen to pursue opportunities to work with like-minded partners.’
During the trial, initially drones will be flown in 60 sq/km of low-traffic airspace about half a mile offshore and away from nature reserves, according to the newspaper report.
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