Turkey Launches "Drone Highways" Project to Regulate Smart Air Transport
Turkish Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, revealed the readiness of the regulatory plan to establish what is known as "Drone Highways," which are digital air corridors dedicated to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to ensure safe and controlled flight operations beyond visual line of sight.
Digital Infrastructure for Air Corridors
This initiative is based on the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (SHT-İHA) instructions issued by the Turkish Directorate General of Civil Aviation. The corridors rely on a centralized digital system known as the Unmanned Aircraft Traffic Tracking and Management System (İHATTYS), where flight paths, entry and exit points, capacity limits, and separation standards between vehicles will be defined digitally. UAV software will be able to read this data directly to ensure compliance with air rules and avoid restricted or dangerous areas.
The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Management
The Minister emphasized that flight paths will be determined using artificial intelligence technologies to select the shortest and most efficient routes. The (İHATTYS) system will provide real-time flight control, with the ability to adjust routes or terminate flights in emergencies. In the event of a loss of connection, the aircraft are programmed to automatically head to pre-defined emergency landing zones away from residential areas.
What This Means for Users and Sectors
This system opens new horizons in vital logistics and medical fields, as these corridors will be permitted for the transport of blood, medicines, and vaccines between hospitals, in addition to shipping operations between distribution centers and industrial zones. The system will also facilitate long-term inspection operations for power lines, oil and gas pipelines, and road and railway networks.
Operational Restrictions and Conditions
The Ministry stressed that these corridors are not intended for recreational use, but will be exclusive to licensed companies and pilots holding a (P2) license. It is also required that the aircraft used be registered and equipped with Remote ID and Geofencing technologies, with the necessity of submitting a prior notification via the system before every takeoff.