Press — Madrid’s Carlos III and La Paz hospitals witnessed a demonstration of medical supplies transported via a drone flight between the two centers. As part of the European U-ELCOME project, coordinated by EUROCONTROL and led by ENAIRE in Spain, this test was carried out today using U-Space technology to manage drone operations in airspace. The operation was notable for its location in an urban environment with complex airspace given its proximity to Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport, as well as the presence of urban heliports in the surrounding area.

The pilots, from Bluenest by Globalvia, have used U-space services to know the position of their drone and other nearby drones at all times, as well as to have a defined flight plan with alerts that warn them when they might deviate from the route marked on the flight plan, among other things.

These U-space services have been provided by the ITG technology center through its USSP platform, called Daliah®. ENAIRE, as a Common Information Service Provider (CISP), plays a key role in providing the airspace information necessary for ITG to deliver its U-space services.

Details of the operation

The distance between the two hospitals is 1.5 km by road and approximately 900 m in a straight line. The flight lasted approximately three minutes and required operational authorization from the Spanish Aviation Safety Agency (AESA), a specific study of the operation, and a risk analysis. The safety measures employed by the aircraft included a parachute and an automatic flight termination system, as well as a containment system in case of any eventuality.

The drone, a DJI Matrice 350 RTK (C3) model, which took off from the roof of one of the buildings in the Carlos III hospital complex, flew largely over garden areas, some hospital buildings, as well as over the roads, which had vehicle traffic held up during the flight, until finally landing on a terrace of the Hospital de la Paz.