The Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research Alliance (NUAIR Alliance) and Griffiss International Airport have partnered with Unifly to provide enhanced unmanned traffic management (UTM) capabilities for the New York UAS Test Site's 50-mile UTM Corridor currently being constructed.

Once it establishes a presence in Central New York, Unifly will deploy its software platform and support traffic management testing.

Working with NUAIR, Unifly will enable enhancements to test beyond visual line of site (BVLOS) systems. The ultimate goal is to safely integrate UAS into the nation’s airspace.

“This new partnership will provide the critical tools needed for beyond visual line of site testing; capabilities not found at any other test site in the nation,” says Major General Marke F. “Hoot” Gibson (ret), chief executive officer of the NUAIR Alliance.

“It also shows that this region is able to lead the industry and attract partners from across the globe due to investments being made by New York state. We look forward to working with Unifly and deploying this industry-leading technology in coming months, and taking our capabilities to a new level.”

This announcement builds on the $30 million investment to develop the 50-mile flight traffic management system between Syracuse and Griffiss International Airport in Rome, New York, in an effort to ultimately advance the UAS industry in Central New York as part of the CNY Rising initiative.

“We look forward to adding this world-class company to the team of partners leading the way in the development of the first-in-the-nation UAS corridor in Upstate New York,” says Empire State Development President, CEO & Commissioner Howard Zemsky.

“The State is making strategic investments to ensure that we remain at the forefront of a burgeoning UAS industry that is growing jobs and strengthening our economy.”

Unifly’s software applications facilitate UAS traffic in very-low-altitude airspace. The company’s tools let operators know where it is safe and legal to fly, while allowing authorities and other aviation stakeholders to track traffic and manage airspace.

With rules and situations often being complex, Unifly’s system can inform users of these rules and situations in a user-friendly way, and it can also provide validation for a given flight and location. The system also parses the underlying rules and real-time information to give operators a clear answer, and it can notify official entities about flights and allow them to take action if required.

“This partnership presents a unique opportunity to share Unifly’s proven UTM technology and experience with NUAIR,” says Marc Kegelaers, CEO of Unifly. “The safe integration of drones into the general airspace is a universal topic today. The NUAIR Operation Center is the first test site that has had the vision to include international partners in their global alliance to successfully tackle these global challenges.”