Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management (UTM) is a collaborative ecosystem for safely managing unmanned aircraft (UA or drone) operations at low altitudes. This ecosystem is built on a framework of regulatory requirements, technical capabilities, and interoperable services to manage and mitigate risks associated with drone operations. Separate from but complementary to air traffic services, UTM enables functions such as flight planning, authorization, surveillance, and conflict management to mitigate risks and ensure safe, efficient operations, especially beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations.

There is ongoing work to fully realize the benefits of UTM. The FAA, with support from NASA, continues to refine the operating concept, the regulatory construct for service recognition in NAS, and data exchange requirements with FAA air traffic services. Meanwhile, industry continues work on industry consensus standards for performance and interoperability, governance approaches on effective data exchange, and build out of initial services with operators.  

UTM Vision

UTM is how airspace is collaboratively managed to enable multiple BVLOS drone operations where air traffic services are not provided.

UTM is intended to be a cooperative ecosystem where drone operators, service providers, and the FAA determine and communicate real-time airspace status. As the ecosystem matures, the FAA will provide real-time constraints to the UAS operators, who are responsible for managing their operations safely within these constraints without receiving positive air traffic control services from the FAA. The primary means of communication and coordination between the FAA, drone operators, and other stakeholders is through a distributed network of highly automated systems via application programming interfaces (API), not voice communications between pilots and air traffic controllers.

Near-Term Approval Process (NTAP) for UTM Services

The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018, PL 115-254, Section 377, directed the FAA to develop a process to permit, authorize, or allow the use of UTM Services based on the service’s ability to maintain the safety and efficiency of the National Airspace System, including managing risks on behalf of drone operators.  In response, the UAS Integration office developed the Near-Term Approval Process (NTAP), which is intended to expedite third-party service provider approvals. The NTAP is not a certification process. Instead, it is a process by which FAA evaluates the safety mitigation value of a service, so that operators can receive safety credit for using that service when seeking waivers or exemptions. 

The NTAP team reviews proposals from networked UTM UAS Service Supplier (USS) and Supplemental Data Service Provider (SDSP), that support drone operations up to 400 feet AGL. Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC) USSs will continue to be managed by the FAA Air Traffic Organization, not through NTAP.  

Eligibility determination for a NTAP Service Provider (SP) and Champion Operator (CO) pair involves initial discussions with the candidates and review of their proposed concept of use (CONUSE), concept of operations (CONOPS), service level agreement (SLA), requirements traceability matrix (RTM), and safety risk management (SRM) plan. Once the candidates have developed their proposal and supporting documentation, the applicant will need to complete the “New Applicants” form found here: FAA UAS Support Center (select “New Applicants" at the top banner). Operators and Service Providers are expected to be aligned prior to applying for NTAP participation; the FAA cannot recommend partnerships between Operators and Service Providers. 

The NTAP Program Manager (and other FAA stakeholders, as necessary) will evaluate the submission to ensure the operation meets the established criteria. Once your submission has been determined to be eligible, the next step to participate in NTAP is to sign a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the FAA. Contact the NTAP team at aus-utm@faa.gov for more information. 

FAA personnel will review existing materials with the service provider using the intake criteria below. Additional materials may be needed so that the FAA can conduct a Safety Risk Management (SRM) evaluation of the service. The FAA uses the NTAP Service Evaluation Matrix to ensure that sufficient materials are provided so that the FAA can fully assess the service provider’s offering. 
 

UTM Operational Evaluation

In early 2023, the FAA evaluated new industry-proposed UTM capabilities and standards in support of small drone operations. These capabilities and standards are needed to support increasingly complex operations, like package delivery. As these operations become more frequent and start to occur in overlapping areas, the risk of collision between drones increases, highlighting the need for a scalable approach to managing drone-to-drone interactions. 

UTM services provide a solution by enabling operators to collaboratively manage drone-to-drone collision risks. Legacy methods, such as filing and reviewing Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs), are not well-suited for automated operations, particularly those operating in close proximity at high operational tempo.

The UTM Operational Evaluation (OE) is a consortium of industry operators and service providers collaborating to implement UTM, effectively managing overlapping BVLOS operations. The FAA and NASA are engaged with the consortium to safely enable routine drone operations. 

The consortium has developed a governance approach, using industry consensus standards, that outlines how service providers and operators will share data and manage operations. It also establishes cooperative operating principles and implements mechanisms for capturing service verification through a comprehensive testing system, resulting in a national framework for UTM deployment that assures equitable access to shared airspace. 

Execution of activities signal the first near-term implementation of BVLOS operations leveraging UTM services for strategic coordination, and provide the data required to expand implementation, as well as to inform FAA rulemaking. 

The FAA has started to issue Letters of Acceptance (LOA) to service providers in this consortium to safely support commercial drone flights beyond visual line of sight. The LOA allows them to provide services to UAS operators, in this case strategic deconfliction services.  As the UTM OE matures, these capabilities are expanding to more locations across the country based on industry demand.

Other operators and service providers can inquire with the current Industry consortium to find pathways to participation in the shared airspace effort at: https://github.com/utmimplementationus/getstarted

UTM Operational Evaluation FAQs:

Who will be developing the “federated network?” How will the network of USSs connect and share data?
Federated means cooperative, not federal government. Industry participants have developed USS capabilities based on industry consensus standards, and continue to innovate and improve in test environments. Connectivity and data sharing are ensured by network components such as the Discovery and Synchronization Service (DSS) and an automated digital test harness.

Who is allowed to participate in the operational evaluation?
Any drone operator qualified to operate BVLOS via waivers or exemptions to 14 CFR part 91, part 107, or part 135 may choose to participate, paired with a USS provider or provision their own. SDSPs that are recognized or seeking recognition through the FAA’s NTAP may also participate. 

Do OE operators need to be able to detect and avoid crewed aircraft?
Yes. All drone operators need a way to avoid crewed aircraft, whether they are using a USS or not. Crewed aircraft collision risk for BVLOS operations can be managed using visual observers or a detect and avoid (DAA) system that is evaluated by the FAA when a waiver or exemption application is processed.

Will this UTM be able to support future AAM operations?
The focus of this activity is specific to drones using distributed services. Lessons learned may be applicable to future passenger- or cargo-carrying AAM operations.

*Part 135 Operators will not be required to provide ConOps through NTAP. Part 107 operators will need to submit ConOps, among other documentation, for waiver/exemption application.
**A verified (pass) report is required to proceed to the next phase.
***These items will be addressed by the UTM Service Provider Shared Airspace and Governance Agreement in the United States (USP) for SP for the OE.

References

• UTM Operational Evaluation: 2023 Drone Symposium Workshop Briefing August, 2023
• UTM Operational Evaluation: Operator Consortium Listening Session September, 2023
• UTM Operational Evaluation: FAA–Operator Consortium Meeting December, 2023
• UTM Operational Evaluation: FAA–Operator Consortium Meeting November, 2023