Transport Administration foresees the possibility of request for U-space airspace during the next 2- 4 years. The location and dimensions of a U-space are not yet determined. A lot will depend on the demand for the new service and readiness to use those possibilities. The location of U-space airspace will most probably be above urban areas since the demand for the new services will be needed there the most.
Four U-space mandatory services will be established and provided by the U-space service providers (USSP) in every U-space airspace:
1. Network Identification Service: provides the identity of UAS operators and the location and trajectory of drones during operations.
2. Geo-Awareness Service: provides information on operational conditions, airspace limitations or existing time restrictions.
3. UAS flight authorisation service: ensures free-of-conflict operations with other UAS operating in the same volume of airspace.
4. Traffic Information Service: alerts UAS operators about other air traffic that may be present in proximity to their UAS.
Additionally, there are two more U-space services that may be established as mandatory for certain U-space airspaces, when so determined by the State after the development of a safety evaluation:
5. Weather Information Service: supports UAS operators during the flight planning and execution phases, as well as improve the performances of other U-space services provided in the U-space airspace.
6. Compliance Monitoring Service: warns of non-compliance with the granted flight clearance and informs operators of any deviation from it.
USSPs and single common information service provider (sCISP) must have a certificate issued by the competent authority. In the Republic of Estonia, the Transport Administration is responsible for the certification of these service providers.
A sCISP will be a certified organization by the Transport Administration and it will make the relevant information available to all relevant operational stakeholders.
All drone operators who want to use U-space airspace are required to use U-space services.
Exception: The use of U-space services will be voluntary for drones with take-off weight below 250g (open category).
The number and complexity of drone operations in Estonia steadily increased in recent years (it is estimated around 75000 drone operations in 2023). The implementation of U-space airspaces aims to ease access to airspace for drones and at the same time will increase the safety of drone operations.
U-space services will make the planning, conducting the flight and situational awareness more convenient for the airspace users. It also gives the possibilities for specific category operators to conduct beyond visual line of sight operations above the urban areas.
Main reasons for the creation of U-space airspace:
- improved visibility and safety of drones in the airspace.
- better orientation for drone operators in the airspace.
- the accelerated authorization process for complex drone operations (specific category, BVLOS flights).
- accounting for other public interests (protection of privacy, environment).
In 2023, the Transport Administration in cooperation with the Estonian Business and Innovation Agency announced the tender "Expert knowledge for the development of an unmanned aviation test site in Estonia", the purpose of which was to support the implementation of the U-space regulation in Estonia and initiate the construction of a suitable test site in Tartu. The winner of the tender was ANRA Technologies.
The files developed as a result of the procurement can be found at the links below:
In 2023, the Transport Administration initiated a risk assessment of the vicinity of Tallinn in cooperation with Eurocontrol. The previous contract was extended and work started in the second half of 2023. Lennuliiklusteeninduse AS and the Estonian Aviation Academy are also involved in the work process. Tallinn and its region are the most populous in the Estonian sense, and one could expect that the first U-space services will be created in the Tallinn region. This is also why risk assessment was started in the vicinity of Tallinn. Airspace risk analysis is one of the prerequisites and conditions for creating U-space airspace.
The risk assessment documents prepared in cooperation between the Transport Administration and Eurocontrol:
Last updated: 03.02.2025
