SkyGrid to lead development of separation tools to increase automation and scalability of Advanced Air Mobility operations
SkyGrid has been awarded Task Order 1: Cooperative Separation Evaluation under the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)-sponsored Center for Advanced Aviation Technologies (CAAT), a new national initiative led by the Autonomy Research Institute at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi (TAMU-CC). SkyGrid is one of three Providers of Services for Urban Air Mobility (UAM) chosen to advance the nation’s next generation of airspace services through simulation-based evaluation, concept development, and standards definition.
Task Order 1 will run through February 2027 and will develop and validate the Concept of Use (ConUse) capabilities and system architecture for cooperative separation. This work builds on the FAA’s UAM ConOps 2.0 and will generate analytical evidence and operational data to inform future ConOps revisions, strategic and tactical service definitions, and standards for scaled AAM operations.
As part of this work, SkyGrid will develop a proof-of-concept for cooperative separation tools and standards to increase automation and scalability of separation in AAM and autonomous flight operations. These capabilities enable more efficient, system-level strategic and tactical deconfliction—supporting high-tempo operations while maintaining safety and regulatory integrity.
“This award marks a major step forward in defining how cooperative separation will work at scale,” said Marcus Johnson, Head of Research and Development at SkyGrid and Chair of the CAAT Third-Party Services Working Group. “Through this task order, we’ll demonstrate delegated separation functions, evaluate new automation models, and work closely with the FAA and CAAT partners to help define the standards, architectures, and performance requirements needed for automated AAM operations and Automated Flight Rules (AFR). SkyGrid is proud to support the national effort to safely modernize our airspace.”
SkyGrid will collaborate with Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi (TAMU-CC) and its Autonomy Research Institute (ARI)—an FAA-designated Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Test Site—bringing research, simulation expertise, and operational experience together to advance cooperative separation evaluation.
“The CAAT represents a historic opportunity to advance the next generation of aviation technologies,” said Michael Sanders, Assistant Vice President and Executive Director of the Autonomy Research Institute at TAMU-CC. “SkyGrid’s leadership in automation, simulation, and operational analysis strengthens the CAAT’s mission to integrate new aircraft, new services, and new operational concepts into the National Airspace System safely and transparently. We are excited to partner on Task Order 1 to accelerate cooperative separation research and standards development.”
SkyGrid has also been elected to serve as Co-Chair of the CAAT Third-Party Services Working Group, one of four working groups within the CAAT Consortium. The working group will help shape the FAA’s roadmap for digital airspace services, cooperative separation, and AFR.
