Hawk Aerospace Performs Aerial Survey at Malta Aerodrome

By Mike Ball / 05 Apr 2018

Smart Sourcing for Unmanned Systems

Discover cutting-edge solutions from leading global suppliers
SUPPLIER SPOTLIGHT
Follow UST

Hawk Aerospace drone operation at Malta airport

Hawk Aerospace, a provider of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) services and solutions, has announced that it has conducted a commercial aerial survey at Malta Aerodrome. The survey was carried out without disrupting any manned air operations.

Malta Air Traffic Services (MATS), the Maltese Air Navigation Service Provider, are currently planning Malta’s new and first air traffic control centre. The new building will give air traffic controllers enhanced visibility over the aerodrome for greater efficiency and safety. Before going forward with the project, MATS needed to know how high the new tower needed to be in order to address air traffic control needs, and questions were raised in view of Obstacle Limitations Surfaces requirements by the industry, visual line of sight, and costs.

MATS contacted Hawk Aerospace, in order to find out if a drone could be used to answer their question. The Malta aerodrome is the only aerodrome in the country that serves civil aviation, general aviation, and light aircraft as well as the military. Previous to this operation, drones were not yet permitted to operate over the aerodrome as they were not recognised fully as aircraft by the regulators.

According to Airsight, a UK based airport consultancy firm, a recent survey showed that more than 25% of the interviewed airports had experience with drone operations. They argue that drone operations at or around aerodromes are subject to special conditions, but in most cases these conditions are simply not yet defined. This leads to a systematic rejection of all drone operation applications or generates a lot of efforts to review the applications on a case-by- case basis.

This has been true in Malta, where commercial and personal drones are not yet regulated. Without proper regulation or precedents to look upon, Hawk Aerospace’s challenge was to satisfy MATS’ needs when the legal framework for such commercial operations was nonexistent in Malta, and to do so without disturbing the normal operations of Malta’s busy airport.

Hawk Aerospace’s drone flight experts and risk management specialists met with MATS Safety, Quality and Security management. Together they devised the required regulatory frameworks and permits for the flight, and set up operational guidelines to ensure safety. Hawk Aerospace provided its technical and risk management expertise to provide a plan that Malta Air Traffic Services found safe and viable and that did not disrupt the aerodrome.

The operation was completed safely and successfully in a couple of hours. The data was given to MATS for their operational and commercial analysis.

Posted by Mike Ball Mike Ball is our resident technical editor here at Unmanned Systems Technology. Combining his passion for teaching, advanced engineering and all things unmanned, Mike keeps a watchful eye over everything related to the unmanned technical sector. With over 10 years’ experience in the unmanned field and a degree in engineering, Mike’s been heading up our technical team here for the last 8 years. Connect & Contact

Latest Articles

Most Read Articles on UST This Week

Here’s our round-up of the five most read articles on UnmannedSystemsTechnology.com this week

Jun 20, 2025
New AI Emission Detector for Autonomous Drones Enables Remote Methane Monitoring

Percepto has introduced an AI-powered emission detection system that combines autonomous drones and real-time analytics to streamline methane monitoring and regulatory compliance for oil and gas operators

Jun 20, 2025
CRP Technology Receives ISO 14001:2015 Environmental Certification for Additive Manufacturing

CRP Technology has obtained ISO 14001:2015 certification from DNV, covering its additive manufacturing processes and confirming alignment with international environmental management standards

Jun 20, 2025
Chess Dynamics Demonstrates Advanced AI Tracking in Challenging Field Trials

Chess Dynamics has demonstrated its advanced AI tracking technology in demanding multi-domain trials, showcasing reliable target tracking, classification and sensor performance in complex conditions

Jun 20, 2025
Marine Laboratory Advances Shallow Water Mapping with RIEGL Bathymetric LiDAR

Plymouth Marine Laboratory is advancing shallow water mapping using RIEGL's UAV-mounted bathymetric LiDAR, enabling high-resolution, low-impact environmental data collection and research

Jun 20, 2025
Evolito to Develop Electric Propulsion System in New Aerospace Collaboration

Evolito and VÆRIDION have partnered to develop electric propulsion technology for the Microliner aircraft, aiming to deliver improved propulsion efficiency and operational safety

Jun 19, 2025

Featured Content

Exail Showcases Integrated USV & AUV Operations in Collaborative Trial

Exail’s DriX USV and Ifremer’s Ulyx AUV were jointly deployed for the first time, demonstrating advanced cooperative capabilities in deep-sea exploration

Jun 19, 2025
HBK Updates RTK Service for Precise Positioning in Autonomous Systems

HBK has updated its SensorCloud RTK service, integrating with MicroStrain by HBK navigation systems to provide centimeter-level accuracy and simplified deployment for autonomous systems

Jun 17, 2025
MEMS DC Accelerometers from SDI Deliver Superior Performance for Unmanned Systems

SDI's MEMS DC accelerometers offer a robust solution for unmanned aerial, ground, and underwater vehicles, providing precise static and dynamic motion sensing, crucial for autonomous navigation, attitude feedback, and structural monitoring

Jun 12, 2025
Advancing Unmanned Systems Through Strategic Collaboration UST works with major OEMs to foster collaboration and increase engagement with SMEs, to accelerate innovation and drive unmanned systems capabilities forward.