Plans will be developed to enable unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to operate routinely within European airspace under an agreement reached today with members of an aerospace consortium.

The agreement between the European Defence Agency and the Air4All consortium will result in a progressive plan to integrate UAVs with other European air traffic by 2015.

Air4All includes BAE Systems, EADS, Alenia Aeronautica, Dassault Aviation, Saab, Thales and other companies. The development contract is worth €500,000 ($735,000).

It will work with Eurocontrol, the European Aviation Safety Agency and other organisations on the programme which will assist air traffic management providers, industry and airworthiness authorities to develop a joint agenda for common European UAV activities.

Air4All project director Dave Kershaw says the initiative will “pr

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