Aeroports de Catalunya, CATEC (Center for Advanced Aerospace Technologies) and Applus+ Laboratories sign an agreement to work together in the development of the drone industry/AAM (Advanced Air Mobility)

The three entities agree in assessing that the future of the aeronautical and aerospace world lies in drones, known as UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles). The development of new solutions in this sector is crucial to achieve more sustainable aviation and, at the same time, a safer, cleaner and quieter airspace.

The agreement arises from the urgent need for infrastructures with real test and development environments for UAM (Urban Air Mobility) solutions. Applus+ Laboratories and the Advanced Centre for Aerospace Technologies FADA-CATEC want to count on the collaboration of Aeroports de Catalunya to jointly and structurally address their approach to the test market for flight authorization and certification of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). The synergy makes it possible to take advantage of the testing and certification capabilities of Applus+ Laboratories, the CATEC facilities and the Lleida-Alguaire airport.

The aim of this negotiation is to constitute a single offer for the validation and certification of drones in Europe. The three entities seek to consolidate themselves as a technological platform for certification, development, testing, and demonstration for the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) or Urban Air Mobility (UAM) sector. It is worth mentioning the excellent weather conditions and the ideal locations of the flight facilities of both FADA-CATEC and the Lleida-Alguaire airport facilities.

For its part, Lleida-Alguaire International Airport, certified by EASA (European Union Aviation Safety Agency) and AESA (Spanish Aviation Safety Agency), has the strategy of becoming a leading European platform for the development of new aviation technologies, the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) sector and space industries.

SIGNATURE WITH FLIGHT DEMONSTRATION INCLUDED

The event has begun at 12h pm with a welcome at the terminal for the signatory members. Afterwards, CATEC operations managers have done a demonstration of technological capabilities, including a drone flight. For this occasion, it has been chosen to demonstrate the technology for a drone survey of an area and processing of the image mosaic in real time.