As part of the SESAR Joint Undertaking Digital Sky Demonstration project U-ELCOME, a major step forward for UAV operations in European airspace took place on April 11, 2025, at Gorizia Airport, Italy. The Pipistrel Nuuva V300—a hybrid-electric, long-range VTOL cargo drone—was successfully demonstrated, showcasing essential U-Space services such as:
- Digital flight plan submission
- Activation & deactivation
- Network e-identification
These capabilities are crucial for the safe and scalable integration of drones into European skies. The demonstration was made possible through the collaboration between Pipistrel Aircraft, Honeywell GCS, ENAV, and D-Flight.
A few days later ITG Technology Center showcased the future of urban air mobility at the outer port of A Coruña. ITG coordinated a large-scale demonstration of drone operations as part of the U-ELCOME DSD Project, led by EUROCONTROL and SESAR Joint Undertaking, with the participation of 51 European partners.
In a real and complex environment like the port of A Coruña, nine drone operations were carried out simultaneously, including a long-range urgent logistics flight between A Coruña and Malpica — reducing travel time from 40 to just 15 minutes, with zero emissions and no traffic constraints.
The demonstration brought together key partners including Cartogalicia S.L. , Aeromedia U.A.V., S.L. , Aerocamaras Especialistas en drónica ámaras, INECO , and Barcelona Drone Center, supported by ENAIRE and the Alvedro Airport control tower, successfully integrating manned and unmanned traffic through U-space technology.
As the leading site in Galicia, ITG presented cutting-edge developments from its Galaxy Lab, strengthening the region’s position as one of the first in Spain ready to deploy automated drone operations by 2026.
U-ELCOME is laying the groundwork for U-space across Europe, accelerating the adoption of drone services in real conditions across Spain, France, and Italy.
Galicia is ready. The future of aerial logistics is already in motion.
This project has received funding from European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) under grant agreement No. 101079171
