Air Cargo Week on Windracers approval for the UK’s first international civil UAS flight

Windracers has featured in Air Cargo Week following approval from the UK Civil Aviation Authority to conduct the UK’s first civil unmanned aerial system (UAS) flight across international airspace.

In the article, Windracers Head of Safety and Regulation Stewart Wallace explains what the approval means in practical terms and why it matters for real- world UAS operations.

Windracers ULTRA, the world’s most accomplished dual-use heavy-lift drone, will fly beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) from the UK to Norway, marking a major regulatory and operational milestone for long-range autonomous aviation.

“This airspace approval allows us to prove the capabilities of the ULTRA across international borders. We can now operate real-world missions safely and reliably.

“BVLOS flights over long distances are possible today with the right planning, systems, and regulatory alignment,” Wallace said. “ULTRA can operate multiple mission types, from humanitarian aid to commercial cargo. Demonstrating this flight across the North Sea shows that autonomous systems can support logistics and emergency relief today.”

The flight demonstrates the growing maturity of civil drone operations and the role a heavy-lift UAS can play in future cargo and logistics networks, particularly on long distance routes where conventional transport is limited or inefficient.

Read the full article in Air Cargo Week here.

For all media enquiries, please contact:
Thomas Boorman, Windracers, tboorman@windracers.com, +44 748 085 0801