Skeyes

Rapport
Annuel

2024

INNOVATION
CONNECTED

Working closely with its partners, skeyes is shaping the future of airspace management.

This airspace is undergoing major transformations that are accelerating every day with the development of data-based technologies that enable ever greater automation. With its innovation programme focused on digital control towers and drone integration, skeyes is shaping the boundaries of an interconnected future.

DRONES AND U-SPACE: :
CUTTING-EDGE DIGITAL SERVICES

The use of airspace is rapidly changing with the continued expansion of the sector of drones or unmanned aerial systems (UAS). Operating in very varied environments - particularly urban environments - depending on their use or mission, drones represent a very buoyant sector from an economic point of view but one that is also very promising for other uses, particularly medical, because they enable very rapid transportation that is not dependent on road traffic, which is often heavy. The number of drone flights continued to grow steadily in 2024. This type of traffic is really going to take off in the coming years, in particular due to the provision of U-space services for which skeyes has been appointed a Common Information Service Provider (CISP).

16381 drone flights were authorised via the Drone & Aerial Activities (DAA) application in 2024. These authorisations concerned drone flights in skeyes-managed CTRs as well as in the Kortrijk RMZ.
+6%
increase in the number of drone flight authorisations compared to 2023. +100.000
professional drone flights were carried out in Belgium in 2024.

DRONE & AERIAL ACTIVITIES (DAA)

This new version of the application makes it easier to integrate drones and, more specifically, BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight) missions into manned aviation airspace.

BURDI: LAUNCH OF OPERATIONS
IN U-SPACE

18

ppartners are working together within the BURDI project to implement the U-space concept in Belgium.

In June 2022, skeyes was appointed coordinator of the BURDI project. The ambition is to implement U-space airspace in controlled and non-controlled airspace in Belgium through the certification of skeyes as a Common Information Service Provider (CISP), of SkeyDrone as a U-space Service Provider (USSP) and the publication of this U-space airspace.

2024

Launch of effective operations in airspace implemented by the BURDI project.

1st

European first: creation of coordination flows between skeyes, the civil aviation authorities and the drone industry for operation of this new type of airspace.

Through its subsidiary SkeyDrone, skeyes is also active in operational drone traffic control services. SkeyDrone is also developing drone detection software solutions for operators of critical infrastructure and events such as Tomorrowland.

120 km2

skeyes, SkeyDrone, the port of Antwerp-Bruges and many other partners have joined forces to create a flight zone covering the 120km2 of the port where BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight) operations are carried out. Drone flights are operated from a single control centre and pilots therefore have no direct visual contact with the aircraft in flight. The drones are used to monitor port infrastructure and cargo. This project at the port of Antwerp-Bruges is one of the most advanced in Europe.

Connected innovation between all skeyes’ partners is opening up a new airspace that will revolutionise the world of transport, mobility and safety.

CNS

CNS Extension of drone inspection flights for the Communication, Navigation and Surveillance (CNS) infrastructure. The inspection drone, specially equipped for this purpose, was also used for the calibrations prior to the replacement of the ILS at Ostend and Liege. The use of a drone reduces the operational impact of CNS system inspections, cutting costs and the environmental impact.

DIGITAL CONTROL TOWERS: DIGITAL TOWER TEST CENTRE

skeyes aims to gradually equip all Belgian airports with digital control towers in order to increase the efficiency, flexibility and resilience of air navigation services. Following the agreement signed in 2021 with SOWAER, skeyes will start with the airports of Liege and Charleroi, the traffic of which will be controlled from a single centre located in Namur as from 2026.

Saab Digital Air Traffic Solutions has been selected to provide the technical infrastructure. In 2024, skeyes continued to develop its Digital Tower Test Centre at the Steeokkerzeel site.

2 airport environments - Liege and Charleroi - are now reproduced in the Digital Tower Test Centre, which is supplied with images and traffic data in real time. This centre is the prototype for the digital control tower currently under construction in Namur. It allows all stakeholders to configure and test all features down to the smallest detail based on real-world traffic.
46 metres is the height of the mast installed in 2023 at the Liege Airport site to which the camera system is fitted.
33 metres is the height of the mast installed in 2024 at the Charleroi Airport site.
18 ccameras give air traffic controllers a 360° view of each airport, enabling them to zoom in and reach areas that are inaccessible from a conventional physical lookout.

WAN: SUPPORTING DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT

To support the data flows being supplied to the digital towers, skeyes has continued to roll out its Wide Area Network (WAN), which provides high-performance, secure, reliable connectivity between its various sites.

ATM SYSTEMS : SUCCESS FULL UPGRADE

In 2024, skeyes reached a major milestone in the development of its Eurocat air traffic control system, installed in the CANAC 2 control centre and the control towers. The Mid Life Upgrade 2.0 (MLU2) project has been successfully implemented.

20/10/2024

On the night of 19 to 20 October 2024, the MLU 2 was successfully put into operation, with the main benefits being:

  • An extension of skeyes’ operational capabilities;
  • Further integration of civil and military air traffic control;
  • Gains in terms of safety and punctuality in complex airspace;
  • Enhanced cyber security.

HERON: GREENER APPROACHES

HERON – Highly Efficient gReen OperatioNs – is a very broad European project funded under the SESAR (Single European Sky ATM Research) programme. It aims at achieving an ambitious set of targets to reduce CO2 emissions from air transport and propose mitigation measures by developing more efficient air operations, both in the air and on the ground.

skeyes is coordinating a series of tests to introduce an Increased Second Glide Slope (ISGS) to facilitate CDO approaches and reduce landing noise.

3,2° to 3,5° instead of 3°. The increased descent angles were tested in the operational environment of Brussels Airport in 2024. These tests will continue in 2025.
« For the development and implementation of this first U-space in Europe, skeyes relies on the collaboration with partners likethe European Commission and EUROCONTROL and partners from the drone industry like Unifly and skeyes’daughter company SkeyDrone. »

Simon Devoldere, Common Information Services Manager

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Sustainability based on cooperation

By putting people at the heart of its strategy, skeyes has always been able to fulfil its public service mission with the utmost efficiency.

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