Article 11 Traffic information service

GENERAL

(a)The traffic information service provides information to UAS operators about other air traffic that is or may be present in close proximity to the position of their UAS and supports situational awareness.

(b)The traffic information service supports UAS operators in avoiding collisions with manned and unmanned traffic.

(c)The traffic information service supports concurrent access to U-space airspace for a large number of UAS by providing UAS operators with useful information for the safe and efficient conduct of their flights.

RESPONSIBILITY WITH REGARD TO THE PREVENTION OF MID-AIR COLLISION

(a)UAS operators are ultimately responsible for the safety of their flights, for meeting the U-space airspace operational constraints, and for ensuring separation or spacing from other manned and unmanned traffic.

(b)This responsibility cannot be transferred to USSPs nor to ANSPs. Neither is authorised to give instructions such as ‘climb’, ‘hold’, etc., to UAS operators; neither is charged with the responsibility to provide conflict resolution advisories, and neither is charged with the responsibility to separate unmanned aircraft from other traffic, other than the USSPs that provide flight authorisation services and ATC units that implement dynamic airspace reconfiguration.

(c)U-space services support the effective decision-making of UAS operators by providing as soon as possible the relevant traffic information to the relevant UAS operators while protecting the integrity and confidentiality of the data originating from manned or unmanned aircraft.

(d)Traffic information is not common information, and the exchange of traffic information does not involve the single CIS provider — except when ATSPs provide the relevant traffic information regarding manned aircraft in U-space airspace established in controlled airspace, as laid down in point ATS.OR.127 of Regulation (EU) 2017/373 amended by Regulation (EU) 2021/665.

IDENTIFICATION IN REAL TIME USSPs should:

(a)identify any known traffic in close proximity to the position or intended route of any active UAS flight under their responsibility, and provide in real time that information to the UAS operator; and

(b)report such traffic to the UAS operator in a timely manner.

OTHER CONSPICUOUS AIR TRAFFIC From the point of view of a UAS operator, and in specific U-space airspace, other conspicuous air traffic comprises all flights under the control of other UAS operators that share the same U-space airspace and conspicuous manned traffic in the U-space airspace and in its vicinity.

PROXIMITY Member States may support the definition of ‘proximity’ by specifying the associated ‘surveillance volume’ through the establishment of the relevant values (range, height) as part of the performance requirements established for each U-space airspace. Regarding UAS traffic, a rectangular area with a diagonal of 7 km, may be used according to the value provided in ASTM F3411-22A. For manned traffic, it is recommended to use 3 times this value (i.e. 21 km).

ELABORATION OF TRAFFIC INFORMATION Traffic information is composite data that USSPs should elaborate from several sources:

(a)in controlled airspace, from the traffic information provided by the ATSP as per point ATS.OR.127 of Regulation (EU) 2017/373 amended by Regulation (EU) 2021/665, through the CIS or, when relevant, from the single CIS provider;

(b)from electronically conspicuous manned traffic, as specified in point SERA.6005(c) of Regulation (EU) No 923/2012, in airspace where manned aircraft operations are not subject to ATC;

(c)from complementary traffic information about uncontrolled manned aircraft;

(d)from the network identification service, providing the UAS remote identification, including the information from other USSPs;

(e)from other authoritative sources.

RECEIPT OF TRAFFIC INFORMATION FROM UNCONTROLLED MANNED AIRCRAFT USSPs that provide traffic information service in U-space airspace where the operation of manned aircraft not subject to ATC takes place should ensure they can acquire the e-conspicuous manned aircraft information through the means specified in AMC1 to point SERA.6005(c) of Regulation (EU) No 923/2012. The information may be acquired from external sources (e.g. other USSPs) or by privately owned means of receipt.

USSP COMMON PROTOCOL — UNIQUENESS OF TRAFFIC INFORMATION USSPs should adhere to a common protocol to ensure the uniqueness of traffic information and that it is delivered to each UAS operator exactly once.

COMPLEMENTARY RECEIPT OF TRAFFIC INFORMATION FROM UNCONTROLLED MANNED AIRCRAFT As per the result of the airspace risk assessment referred to in Article 3(1) of Regulation (EU) 2021/664, the need for deployment of additional ground infrastructure, in accordance with AMC1 to point SERA.6005(c) of Regulation (EU) No 923/2012, necessary for the continuous receipt of information from manned aircraft that make themselves electronically conspicuous, may be exceptionally alleviated.

FLOW OF TRAFFIC INFORMATION Traffic information is originally generated on board manned or unmanned aircraft by systems that compute, for example, own time, position and speed of the aircraft.

(a)Operators of unmanned aircraft in U-space airspace provide traffic information to USSPs by means of network identification service.

(b)Operators of manned aircraft not subject to ATC in U-space airspace provide traffic information to USSPs in accordance with point SERA.6005(c) of Regulation (EU) No 923/2012.

(c)Inside controlled airspace, ATSPs provide traffic information on manned aircraft to USSPs.

(d)USSPs share traffic information among themselves and with UAS operators.

(e)There is no direct flow of traffic information from USSPs to operators of manned aircraft.

PERFORMANCE OF THE TRAFFIC INFORMATION DISTRIBUTION USSPs should demonstrate a latency for distributing traffic information that is lower than 5 seconds for at least 99 % of the time.