Anduril Industries UK announced on May 19th 2025 that it will lead a team of industry heavyweights including Archer Aviation (NYSE: ACHR), UK-based Skyports Drone Services, and Canadian-based AtkinsRéalis to develop dual use civil and military air transport for the UK using Archer Aviation’s Midnight eVTOL aircraft.
Cargo, beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations, low emission, and rapid response flight are the key areas that Anduril, Archer Aviation, Skyports Drone Services and AtkinsRéalis intend to provide solutions for the UK Ministry of Defence (UK MOD).
This will be Anduril’s debut of displaying Archer’s eVTOL aircraft technology in the UK.
The product development strategy of Anduril UK, which emphasizes software, allows for the quick rollout of new systems. This approach has led to the introduction of various dual-use military capabilities, with the most notable being the provision of the Ghost autonomous uncrewed air system to the UK Ministry of Defence (UK MOD). The initiative would showcase Anduril UK’s dedication to creating and producing scalable technologies within the UK, enhancing existing methods, and facilitating additional investment and job opportunities.
“Leveraging our experience in novel aircraft design and emerging regulatory frameworks, AtkinsRéalis will be supporting the team to safely integrate automated uncrewed aircrafts into the UK’s skies. The combination of local expertise with investment from industry leaders like Archer and Anduril will strengthen the UK’s position at the forefront of the future of flight”. – David Clark, Global Head of Aerospace & Defence, AtkinsRéalis
“This team marks the next phase of our partnership with Anduril. There’s an incredible amount of opportunity here in the UK and worldwide to deploy dual-use advanced aircraft and we look forward to making it a reality” – Verity Richardson, Head of Business Development, UK, at Archer
“The UK Government is making strong progress in enabling permanent BVLOS drone operations so partnering with Anduril and Archer is a natural step, as we onboard more advanced aircraft and increase our payload and range capabilities. Our first project on cargo services will lay the groundwork for other applications with significant value, such as surveillance and search and rescue”. – Alex Brown, Director of Skyports Drone Services
AtkinsRéalis and Skyports have already built a partnership in the past several years, working together on an eVTOL ecosystem in the UK as part of the Advanced Mobility Ecosystem Consortium (AMEC), which is supported by the Future Flight Challenge Phase 3. AMEC is developing key infrastructure and technology advancements in collaboration with its many presitigous partners. As will be elaborated on later in this article, air traffic control within an AAM network, ground charging infrastructure, vehicle operation, and passenger travel are amongst the central themes of AMEC.
The UK’s role in AAM
What is so special about the UK AAM market, and the UK in regards to the future of drone/UAS, eVTOL and hybrid VTOL aircraft?
In answering this question, Adam Conner, Future Flight Technology Lead at AtkinsRéalis (which collaborates with Anduril and Archer Aviation), said it best:
“Whilst the UK may not be the first, or the largest, AAM market globally, I think it will become a known as a key Centre of Excellence for advanced research, regulatory leadership, and technology development, Through public sector funding like the Future Flight Challenge, we have developed an industry-leading enabling technology ecosystem that will really come into fruition as aircraft enter into service. This is a valuable export opportunity which we must take advantage of in the coming years. Eventually, I still see potential for a vibrant UK market, particularly for regional connectivity underserved by existing transport modes. ” – Adam Conner, Future Flight Technology Lead at AtkinsRéalis
Anduril UK’s Managing Director, Dr Rich Drake further explained why the UK was spotted as an attractive nest for the future of aviation by the eagle eyes at Anduril and it’s not just because the UK is the land of Tolkien (Andúril is the fictional sword of Aragorn from The Lord of the Rings):
The UK has clear ambitions both for innovation and growth, as well as to continue its leadership in advanced air mobility. This partnership brings together Archer’s leading eVTOL technology, Skyports’ infrastructure expertise and AtkinsRéalis’ safety systems in order to support future flight projects, accelerating VTOL and BVLOS developments. It also unlocks opportunities in defence and civil domains, including rapid, low-emission urban transport and surveillance capabilities for defence applications. Introducing Archer to the UK, alongside experienced local partners, marks a step forward in delivering integrated air mobility”. – Dr Rich Drake, Managing Director of Anduril UK
The UK has many world-renowned educational/research institutions, one of the most impressive being the various aerospace related centers at Cranfield University. WMG, which is the advanced manufacturing and engineering group within the University of Warwick, has expertise in mass manufacturing, which will be vital for any development and manufacturing of future drone/UAS applications in the UK by Anduril.
NATS (National Air Traffic Systems) made a brilliant video explaining the importance of UK aviation and airspace:
Key Facts about UK airspace:
- 3rd largest aviation network in the world, only behind US and China
- More than 270 million people fly to and from the UK each year
- Up to 80% of North Atlantic air traffic passes through UK controlled airspace
- £22 billion is generated from aerospace within the UK, as well as 1 million jobs
- UK is home to the world’s busiest single runway airport, dual runway airport, and heliport
- £160 worth of goods transported by air between UK and non-EU countries
Photo by Clément Proust
Skyports Drone Services
- Skyports Drone Services is the world’s leading drone airline.
- Headquartered in UK.
- BVLOS flight expertise, particularly in inspection and delivery applications.
- Skyport’s all-electric drones provide inspection and delivery services in 13 countries.
- Drones range from small inspection drones to large heavy-payload drones.
- Involved in Project CAELUS consortium to provide critical medical supply transit for NHS Scotland using drone technology.
- Connectivity for Remote Orkney Future Transport (CROFT) project:
- Partnered with Cranfield University, Satellite Applications Catapult, Stratospheric Platforms (UK) Limited, and West Midlands 5G in the development of drone flights using 5G communications and data exchange. Such drone flights will allow improved connectivity and drone deliveries to remote locations on Scotland’s Orkney Islands. The project was funded by the UK Space Agency.
“The UK has always been at the forefront of scientific innovation, and we are focused on supporting British companies that are continuing that tradition. As the CROFT project shows, space technologies can help develop services that improve people’s lives, in this instance using drones with advanced satellite and 5G connectivity to deliver essential supplies to rural areas, often in challenging conditions”……”We look forward to Skyports’ continuing success and its productive contribution to the growth of the UK satellite communications industry.” – Henny Sands, Head of Telecommunications at the UK Space Agency
“The roll-out of 5G presents a huge opportunity for drone operations. With 5G we’re unlocking ever more advanced capabilities, benefitting from rapid data exchange between our remote operations centre and the aircraft. We stay connected to our aircraft at all times throughout our journeys using both satellite connectivity and cellular signals. This is critical for our Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) flights, which allow us to reach more people and communities – as we will demonstrate with this project.” – Alex Brown, Director of Skyports Drone Services
AtkinsRéalis
- AtkinsRéalis Group Inc., (formed from Canadian based SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. after its purchase of the British construction, engineering, design and business services company Atkins.
- Involved in airport design and construction projects.
- Toronto Stock Exchange symbol: ATRL
“As an organisation delivering (not just talking about) this cutting-edge engineering revolution, I know that these industry-leading insights from our technical experts will add value to any discussion of electric engines.” – Julian Fielden-Page, Head of Aerospace and Defence Industry and Futures Market at AtkinsRéalis
On April 24th 2025, Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) designated AtkinsRéalis as its first approved accessor of commercial drones: a Recognised Assessment Entity for Flightworthiness [RAE(F)]. Such commercial drones in the cargo, medical deliveries, surveying and media sectors will be assessed for airworthiness and compliance with the CAA’s requirements for drone manufacturing, design, and flight characteristics.
“From expediting deliveries of live-saving medical supplies to more efficient monitoring of our critical national infrastructure, drones are set to deliver significant benefits across multiple industries. This pace of change will hinge on constructive partnerships between industry and regulators, ensuring these aircraft integrate safely into airspace while encouraging innovation.” …… “Our decades of aerospace certification experience, combined with our Future of Flight team’s deep understanding of the evolving aviation ecosystem, uniquely positions us to support this dynamic industry through assessments that maintain public confidence while unlocking new opportunities.”- James Richmond, Head of Advanced Air Mobility at AtkinsRéalis
“In my experience of the current AAM landscape, there is a common and understandable drive from businesses to develop aircraft more quickly and cost effectively, drawing upon the design development timescales set by other industries such as automotive. This drive is fueling the push to enable perceived improvements in such as “digital certification”, with an increased reliance upon analytical simulation to support rapid design development and ultimately certification.” – Liam Baily, Head of Aerospace Engineering and Head of Part 21J Design Organization at AtkinsRéalis
UK Specific Operations Risk Assessment (SORA)
The two major risk processes and guidelines used by AtkinsRéalis will be the UK Specific Operations Risk Assessment (SORA) process for assessing Drone flightworthiness for commercial operators, and the risk classification system known as Safety Assurance and Integrity Level (SAIL) for evaluating manufacturers’ drone designs. After AtkinsRéalis has determined that the applicants have met the UK SORA and SAIL requirements, the applicants of commercial drones will be able to obtain a certificate or authorization from the CAA. UK SORA became implemented in April 23, 2025. Designers of UAS should cooperate with an RAE(F) such as AtkinsRéalis when pursuing a SAIL Mark certification for their drone designs.
“UK SORA is the UK’s version of a drone risk assessment process that has been developed internationally with consensus from multiple aviation authorities. It represents a significant step forward in how the UK approaches drone certification.”……..“As we enable the safe expansion of the UK’s commercial drone market to support economic growth, Recognised Assessment Entities like AtkinsRéalis will play an important role in providing technical expertise to ensure drone operators and designers are compliant.” – Sophie O’Sullivan, Director of Future of Flight at the UK Civil Aviation Authority
Advanced Mobility Ecosystem Consortium (AMEC)
On July 18, 2022 at the Farnborough International Airshow it was announced that the Advanced Mobility Ecosystem Consortium (AMEC) comprising of the likes of Vertical Aerospace, AtkinsRéalis, Skyports Infrastructure, NATS, Connected Places Catapult, Cranfield University, and WMG (formerly Warwick Manufacturing Group) of the University of Warwick, as well as Heathrow Airport, London City Airport, and Bristol Airport.
“This is an exciting leap forward for AAM, bringing together experts from across the industry to maintain the UK’s leading position in the future of aviation and moving us closer to commercial operations that will connect regions and contribute to the UK’s net zero targets.” – James Richmond, Head of Advanced Air Mobility at AtkinsRéalis
The goal of the Air Mobility Ecosystem Consortium (AMEC), which is led by Professor Antonios Tsourdos, Head of the Autonomous and Cyber-Physical Systems Centre at Cranfield University, is to show that Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) is both commercially and operationally viable in the United Kingdom.
“Collaborating with AMEC partners, Cranfield is helping to model infrastructure for vertiports, including schedule optimisation and resource management. Working with Skyports, Cranfield brings its expertise in passenger behaviour research and airport management to help shape infrastructure requirements for landing pads and vertiports. Ensuring that this is highly integrated with supporting infrastructure such as aircraft parking, landside access and embarking and disembarking areas is key to ensuring efficiency and a positive customer experience. Cranfield is also supporting NATS in the development of the future airspace concept of operations. Collaborating closely with the consortium, academics are developing networks topology and network efficiencies for a network of vertiports. This is absolutely crucial for airspace management, and it’s key to consider operational constraints such as aircraft capabilities. Getting safety, task allocation and network integration right will ensure that aircraft can fly seamlessly between vertiports. An ongoing focus area of work is ensuring scalability in the network and modelling how the future might look, and ensuring the network and infrastructure can take increased capacity.” – Professor Antonios Tsourdos, Head of the Autonomous and Cyber-Physical Systems Centre at Cranfield University
“Project AMEC has proven how we can safely integrate Advanced Air Mobility operations into today’s airspace at scale. With a proven blueprint, operational model, and deployable digital systems, NATS Services is equipped to enable real-world AAM operations now. Our solution bridges today’s traffic management systems to accommodate new types of users, ensuring safety without stifling innovation. This isn’t just about flying vehicles; it’s about creating smarter, greener transport networks that spark regional economic growth.” – Mark Balsdon, NATS Services AMEC Project lead and Head of New Airspace Users Accounts and Partnerships
“What we have done for both drones and eVTOLs, which I haven’t seen anywhere else, is integration – developing the technical interfaces with the traditional air traffic management domain which are aligned with the airspace modernisation strategy of the Civil Aviation Authority.” – Gareth Bowen, NATS Services New Airspace Users Solutions Consultant
Connected Places Catapult
- “The UK’s innovation accelerator for transport, the built environment, cities and local growth.”
- Accelerating innovation and prioritising the innovation economy around of specialist areas of Mobility, Smart Cities and the Built Environment;
- Support and open markets for the economy of the future, giving UK SMEs access to new markets globally and the opportunity to export UK innovation. Also creating opportunities for overseas companies to access the UK market;
- Deliver collaborative support, though partnerships etc. to UK PLC nationally and internationally, as well as any locations that we partner with globally.”
Cranfield University
- Top university for postgraduate Aerospace engineering in the UK. With 200 doctoral students and 400 MSc Aerospace students, Cranfield University is the largest provider of accredited aerospace degree courses in the UK.
- Has the largest number of engineering master’s degree students in the UK according to the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA 2021-2022)
- Home of world renowned centers for aviation research, manufacturing, design, management, flight, including eVTOL, and UAS aircraft.
- Heavily invested in Urban Air Mobility (UAM) and Advanced AIr Mobility (AAM) planning and research. Over 100 academic faculty with expertise in aircraft electrification and urban air mobility.
- The only university in Europe with its own airport and runway!
“Aerospace has been identified by the UK Government as being strategically important to our economy, yet there is a lack of specialist business incubators for this sector. With technology developing at pace, including drones and electric-powered flight, we are now in an ideal position to accelerate innovation in aviation. We’re delighted to support small firms who have high-growth potential in this sector, and bring to fruition the technology of tomorrow.” – Professor Tom Stephenson, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Research and Innovation at Cranfield University
CraneAERO Team
- Cranfield University’s CraneAERO Team recently made it to the second phase of GoAero Challenge competition for emergency use eVTOL aircraft with their CRANE (Cranfield Rapid Aerial Network for Emergency) eVTOL design. Cranfield university’s team is one of the 11 global teams to make it to stage 2 out of the 200 teams that competed in the stage 1 of the GoAero Challenge.
“We envision our eVTOL as a game-changer in emergency response. In situations where every second counts, our flyer is built to bridge the gap between traditional emergency response and next-generation aerial mobility, providing fast, reliable, and autonomous solutions for search and rescue, disaster relief, and medical evacuation.” – Muhammad Haad Shaikh, captain and project manager at CraneAERO Team
“Cranfield has facilities including our own airport, our own aircraft, and the latest aerospace technologies across the spectrum, including those in propulsion, sensors, controls, autonomy, and AI, and design materials.”….. “All this is how we teach our students – a combination of academic training and hands-on industry experiences. Our GoAERO endeavour shows this works well for our students.”- Dr Dmitry Ignatyev, senior lecturer in flight dynamics and control and Director of CraneAERO Team
AVIATE+
- Research England has designated Cranfield University as an University Enterprise Zone and subsequently awarded Cranfield University £1.2 million to create a UK Aviation Innovation and Technology Entrepreneurship cluster
“Based at Cranfield’s Global Research Airport AVIATE+ will play a vital role in accelerating the growth of innovative AvTech start-up companies.”……“With the industry fully committed to achieving its net zero ambitions and a more sustainable future, we are seeing more and more start-ups developing cleaner innovative technology. With our wide-range of leading research facilities and expertise we are delighted to be helping accelerate them on their journey.” – Professor Iain Gray, Director of Aerospace at Cranfield University
Digital Aviation Research and Technology Centre (DARTeC) at Cranfield University
- UK’s premier research centre for digital aviation technology
- The Centre focuses on 3 core areas: Transport Systems, Aerospace and Manufacturing and Materials
- DARTeC seeks to tackle the research challenges confronting the aviation sector, including: the incorporation of drones into civilian airspace, increasing airport efficiency via technological innovations, establishing a safe and secure shared airspace through robust data communication infrastructures, enhancing the reliability and availability of aircraft through self-sensing and self-aware technologies.
- Co-invested by leaders in aerospace:
- Thales Group,
- Saab AB,
- Monarch Aircraft Engineering Ltd, Aveillant Ltd,
- Research England.
The Sir Peter Gregson Aerospace Integration Research Centre (AIRC)
- Co-funded by Airbus and Rolls-Royce
- Features purpose-built laboratories for research into future propulsion, mission systems, Urban Air Mobility and robotic automated assembly.
- A hangar with over 1500m2 space to accommodate full-scale aircraft and components research and development.
The National Flying Laboratory Centre (NFLC)
- NFLC operates Cranfield’s aircraft, which includes the Saab340B Flying Classroom and Laboratory, a facility that is nearly one-of-a-kind in the European academic sector and is utilized to enhance teaching, research, and consultancy.
- As demonstrated in the video below, the aircraft is equipped with Honeywell Aspire 400 satellite communications, providing passengers with real-time information regarding various performance metrics, enabling students to assume the role of flight test engineers throughout their flight.
National Drone Innovation Gateway
- The National Drone Innovation Gateway is a facility led by Cranfield University, Neuron Innovations and Ebeni to support innovators in the UK Drone and Urban Air Mobility (UAM) ecosystems. Drawing on the expertise of leading aviation experts, the hub provides services and facilities to support innovators in the UK Drone and Future Air Mobility (FAM) ecosystems
Centre for Aeronautics
- The Centre for Aeronautics is one of the world’s largest centres for postgraduate education and research in aircraft design, aerodynamics, advanced modelling and simulation tools and methods.
- Comprised of 5 groups:
- Aircraft Design Group,
- Applied Aerodynamics Group,
- Advanced Engineering Design Group,
- Dynamics, Simulation and Control Group.
- Comprised of 5 groups:
Eagle Labs Cranfield
- Barclays has partnered with Cranfield University to support the future innovators of Bedfordshire.
- Located at the center of the University campus, Eagle Labs Cranfield was formed to serve the aerospace and aviation technology community, continuing Cranfield University’s aerospace legacy.
Centre for Propulsion and Thermal Power Engineering
- One of the largest research and educational institutions at Cranfield University
- Comprised of the following centres:
- The Thermal Management Systems Facility (TMSF)
- Rolls-Royce University Technology Centre (UTC)
- Pebble Bed Air Heater Combustion and Thermal Management Research Facility
- Icing facility
- Sub-atmospheric Altitude Test Facility
- Aircraft Cargo Bay Suppression Fire Rig
- Gas Turbine Health Monitoring & Management
- Supercritical CO2 Test Facility
- Advanced Complex Intake Test Facility
- High Speed Research Compressor Facility
- Strip and Build Lab
Centre for Defence Engineering
- World-leading academic and research expertise in Defence engineering and technology.
- Comprised of the following centres:
- Aeromechanical Systems Group,
- Aerodynamics
- Flight dynamics
- Guidance, control, and navigation
- Aviation safety and airworthiness.
- Defence Electronics Group
- Embedded systems Design
- Embedded Software Development
- Ultrasonic and Photoacoustic imaging
- Bioinspired electronics
- Vibroacoustic for HUMS
- Analog and Digital circuit design
- UAV control systems
- Aeromechanical Systems Group,
WMG (formerly Warwick Manufacturing Group), University of Warwick
- Conducts lithium-ion battery research for Vertical Aerospace’s VX-4 aircraft (battery fault diagnostic algorithms) as part of the AMEC consortium.
Centre for Air Transport Management (Cranfield University)
- Concentrates on the business elements involved in the administration of airlines and airports by merging management with economics, finance, strategy, planning, design, operations, marketing, business development, and technology.
- The Centre’s mission is understanding the entire ecosystem in which transportation functions: the vehicles, infrastructure, businesses, and logistics, along with the human elements involved in operating, managing, and utilizing transport.
Digital Air Traffic Control Centre, Cranfield University
- First operational digital air traffic control centre in the UK, (developed by Saab Digital Air Traffic Solutions).
- Part of the Digital Aviation Research and Technology Centre (DARTeC).
Datawise (Joint Project between NATS and Cranfield University)
- NATS and Cranfield University collaborated on the Datawise project, which looked at a baseline proof of concept methodology for applying machine learning techniques to comprehend how federated learning approaches might optimize data transmission between the air and the ground. Federated learning is a unique method for investigating data flow amongst ecosystem participants, was used within the context of the future “ecosystem” of air traffic management (ATM).
NATS (National Air Traffic Services)
- The UK’s leading provider of air traffic control services
- Responsible for traffic control of 2.2 million flights and 250 million passengers travelling in UK airspace.
NATS has developed and provided an operational paradigm for airspace management for eVTOLs and other AAM aircraft. Furthermore, innovative applications that demonstrate the possibility of future interactions and integration are supporting eVTOL flights. It only takes a few minutes for eVTOL operators to submit their flight plans through an app, which are then approved or changed as needed. The “Airspace Manager” feature monitors the airspace from a digital “master control room,” and the entire trip is completely deconflicted from other aircraft before it even takes off.
“Effective airspace management is crucial for integrating new aircraft and embracing future technology-enabled services. Through this project, NATS is developing advanced airspace management concepts and tools to shape the future of airspace services, and embrace technological advancements that ensure safety, efficiency and innovation work together harmoniously while accommodating evolving needs.” – Guy Adams, NATS Commercial Director
Project CAELUS consortium
- NATS was a key player in building the UK’s first medical drone delivery network
- Consisting of 16 partners: AGS Airports Limited (Aberdeen, Glasgow & Southampton Airports), NHS Scotland, NATS, University of Strathclyde, Connected Places Catapult, ANRA Technology, AtkinsRéalis, Arup, Cellnex Telecom, Commonplace Digital, DGP Intelsius, Dronamics, Planefinder, Skyports Deliveries Ltd, The Drone Office, Trax International.
3 Phases of Project CAELUS:
- Phase One: Connect hospitals, pathology laboratories, distribution centres and GP surgeries across Scotland via a drone network
- Phase Two: Increase the speed and payload capabilities of drones, in order to broaden the use and meet the requirements for time-sensitive medical supply air transport.
- Phase Three: Conducted live test flights in across locations in Scotland, demonstrated the feasibility of drones in critical life-saving medical supply transport across UK airspace.
NATS’ steadfast commitment to inclusion of women in the vital Air Traffic Control professional workforce
NATS also is proactive in recruiting more women into Air Traffic Control. Currently, women only make up 30% of Air Traffic Controllers.
“Air traffic control should be a career anyone can aspire to, but along with the wider aviation industry, it has long been heavily male dominated. We have many wonderful women controllers, but they make up only around only 30% of the total and we want to change that.” – Helen Fuge, Head of Talent and HR Services at NATS
Interestingly enough, some medical research (while limited and preliminary) may suggest that despite women being underrepresented in Air Traffic Control careers, women (as a group) have a neurophysiological advantage when it comes to task-switching. Task-switching is an essential part of air traffic control.
“Men performing at the same level as women exhibited more pronounced activation in prefrontal regions, left parietal lobe, and right insula; bilateral activation of the supplementary motor area was observed in men but not in women. Men were slower in performing a neuropsychological TS [Task switching] when required to give a quick response. Besides, the BOLD signal from dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and supplementary motor area in fMRI combined with a TS was correlated to performance in a psychological TS; a difference between men and women was revealed by these tests. All this suggests the use of more extensive brain resources by men performing a TS, which probably appears more difficult to men and cannot be performed with the same degree of automaticity as observed in women. The data obtained reveal differences in the organization of visual attention switching processes at both behavioral and physiological levels in men and women.“
SOURCE: Kuptsova, Svetlana V et al. “Sex-related differences in task switching: An fMRI study.” Human Physiology 41 (2015): 611 – 624.
Why is task switching (TS) important in air traffic control?
“The results of this study confirmed that interruptions that occur during an air traffic control task have negative effects on the situation awareness of operators. When the simulated air traffic control task in this research was interrupted by the insertion of a secondary task (e.g., the telephone-answering task), the situation awareness of controllers was significantly reduced. …..Numerous studies have reported that our cognitive abilities are severely limited when we perform several tasks simultaneously or in close succession. Thus, people are more likely to employ the strategy of task switching in response to multiple tasks, especially when those tasks are complex or unfamiliar and require the allocation of resources to working memory.”
SOURCE: Zhou K, Wang C, Xie S, Zhou Y, Zhang X, Wang Y, Tang H. Effect of task interruption on the situation awareness of air traffic controllers. PLoS One. 2024 Nov 22;19(11):e0314183. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0314183. PMID: 39576811; PMCID: PMC11584075.
Another study published in the International Journal of Transportation Science and Technology in 2022 measuring conflict resolution performance among air traffic controllers found no difference among the genders, yet it corroborated earlier findings that males require additional brain resources compared to their female colleagues, and concluded:
“While the objective measures yielded no difference in the performance across gender, the physiological measures revealed different findings. Gender differences affected beta activation on the left prefrontal and right parietal lobes where male controllers exhibit higher activation as opposed to the female counterparts, suggesting that males tend to use greater mental resources than females in the conflict resolution task.” …….”First, the conflict resolution performance is not influenced by the controller’s gender, suggesting that the function allocation of air traffic controllers is not necessarily determined by gender. Second, the male controllers exhibited greater use of mental resources. This suggests that an appropriate training program in optimizing and maintaining attentional resources should be conducted in regular basis and greater participation of male controllers is expected.”
SOURCE: Trapsilawati, F., Prastiwi, P. B., Vista, Y., Myesha, Z., Herliansyah, M. K., & Wijayanto, T. (2021). Investigating traffic and controller factors in spatial multitasking: The context of air traffic conflict resolution. International Journal of Transportation Science and Technology, 11(3), 536–544. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijtst.2021.07.006
While it must be made clear that no person should ever be discriminated in hiring based on their sex, if further studies prove that women (as a group) are more naturally predisposed to accomplish certain objectives in Air Traffic Control with a higher degree of task switching performance or heightened attention, then these attributes of a female professional workforce should be welcomed as a benefit and asset to all who are involved in Air Traffic Control, from passengers to pilots, and everyone else in between.
NATS’ reasons for recruiting more women assuredly are completely unrelated to the potential benefits that have been discussed in this article. NATS should be commended for its vocal and active engagement with women in the community so that potential female candidates may be made aware of an essential and rewarding profession, in which many women can excel and have excelled through their own hard work and dedication. If such female air traffic controllers possess a natural aptitude for skills that make the tasks more likely to be achieved at the very high level required in such a critical field, then it’s simply another valid reason amongst the many other obvious reasons why we need more women in Air Traffic Control.
“Great controllers come from all walks of life and all backgrounds and while we have many outstanding women controllers, they constitute only about 30% of the workforce. We want to attract talent from the broadest possible pool, and I’d really encourage anyone who’s keen to go for it. It really is a fantastic career.” – Claire Burton, Head of Operational Excellence and Transformation at NATS
Challenges that the UK will overcome
In an article titled “Funding Zero Emission Aviation”, by Adam Connor (Future Flight Technology Lead at AtkinsRéalis), alongside contributors Mesh Toraskar, Charles Hopwood, Emily Xu, and Salah Mizra, that was published in AtkinsRéalis‘ Future of Flight Magazine, it noted the differences between the UK’s funding ecosystem and that of the United States. The UK’s aviation innovation ecosystem depends on public and private investments. The Future Flight Challenge, Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) programmes, and the EU’s Clean Aviation initiative are amongst the main sources of government backing. Furthermore, private funding may be acquired through regional, national and European funds, as well as via the UK Infrastructure Bank (UKIB) and the British Business Bank.
One particular challenge that needs to be addressed is the difficulty in funding for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) such as those in the eVTOL sector. One cannot help but to compare differences in regards to the ease and access of funding for American vs British aerospace startups. Archer Aviation, which was formed in 2018, and joined the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) three years later with a $3.8 valuation. British aerospace firm Vertical Aerospace was formed 2 years earlier than Archer Aviation, yet entered the NYSE roughly at the same time as Archer (3 months later) with a valuation of $2.2 billion.
Archer has since has been able to scale quickly with assembly plants and battery production partnerships of massive proportions. (Read more in this VTOL buzz article for info about Archer’s scalability at a rapid pace: Why Archer chose Palantir to integrate AI from the ground up into the sky)
Although the UK is blessed with many world-class centres for engineering, design, startup incubators, it unfortunately still holds the same problem as the rest of Europe, in that they may eventually become out-played by American aerospace companies utilizing eVTOL, drone and other emerging tech. As stated in Adam Connor’s assessment, the UK ecosystem is plagued by a “valley of death” where funding is lacking for the transition of prototypes to market delivery.
Adam Connor asks whether the UK can remain a front-runner in zero emission aviation innovation when such limited funding hinders transition of prototypes to market delivery. It is his opinion that consolidation will be inevitable, and that mergers, acquisitions, and closures will dramatically reduce the number of players from its initial numbering in the hundreds. Insolvency, as mentioned by Mr. Connor will cause a “shockwave”. One doesn’t have to look further than VTOL buzz’s own articles concerning the German tragedy at Lilium and the subsequent insolvency at InoBAT to agree with what Adam Connor is describing (read more in our article: Lilium’s 2nd bankruptcy, the German tragedy that should have never happened).
Nevertheless, we at VTOL buzz have high hopes and praise for the UK aerospace community, and wish UK manufacturers, suppliers, operators, service providers, passengers, consumers, and everyone else touched by this critical industry all the best success and safety in the future!
More Info:
Anduril’s press release: click here
AtkinsRéalis press release regarding partnership with Civil Aviation Authority (CAA): click here
Connected Places Catapult (official website): click here
Connected Places Catapult’s role within AMEC: click here
Cranfield University’s expertise in aircraft electrification and urban air mobility: click here
Cranfield team a global winner in emergency eVTOL aircraft design competition: click here
CraneAERO of Cranfield University (official website): click here
Sir Peter Gregson Aerospace Integration Research Centre (AIRC): click here
National Flying Laboratory Centre (Cranfield University): click here
National Drone Innovation Gateway: click here
NATS (official website): click here
Cranfield and NATS collaboration on AAM within AMEC: click here
“Effect of task interruption on the situation awareness of air traffic controllers”: click here
Cranfield University’s global research airport: click here
“Investigating traffic and controller factors in spatial multitasking: The context of air traffic conflict resolution”: click here
Cranfield University’s facilities and centres: click here
Cranfield Aerospace Centre: click here
WMG of University of Warwick’s battery research for AMEC: click here
Skyport Drone Services (official website): click here
Skyport Drone Services 5G drone research with Cranfield University: click here
Magazine titled “Welcome to Powering the Future of Flight” published by AtkinsRéalis: click here