Successful BVLOS Drone Trial Enhances Rail Incident Response Capabilities

• •Project SOCNI tested BVLOS drone operations for rail incident response and inspections.
• •The trial involved multiple organizations ensuring safe airspace sharing among drones.
• •Results will inform the development of NATS' OpenAir concept for airspace integration.

NATS, DroneCloud, and Network Rail completed Project SOCNI, which tested beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone operations around critical national infrastructure, focusing on rail inspections and incident response. The project involved multiple partners, including Transport for Wales and British Transport Police, and aimed to ensure safe coexistence of multiple drone operators in the same airspace. The live demonstration utilized real aircraft and simulated scenarios to validate safety protocols and data sharing. The outcomes are expected to inform the development of NATS' OpenAir concept, which facilitates the integration of new airspace users. The project was supported by the UK Research and Innovation Future Flight programme, highlighting its significance in advancing drone operations in complex environments. Future demonstrations will build on the findings from SOCNI to further enhance operational safety and efficiency.