We are at a pivotal juncture in aviation’s evolution — one marked by urgency, complexity and the promise of transformation. As global advocates for drones and digital aviation, the Global UTM Association (GUTMA) mission is clear: to accelerate implementation and unlock global markets.
While companies are poised to scale, commercial Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations remain blocked in many countries. The opportunity is real, but so is the inertia. To change that, we must engage regulators directly and demonstrate the value of drone integration at scale. The GUTMA continues to do just that — and encourages all of you to join us in this important endeavor.
Collaborative Assessment: UTM Readiness Around the World
The newly released UTM Ecosystems’ Readiness Report underscores our mission by offering a global snapshot of innovation. It also exposes the gap between technological readiness and regulatory access. The report offers a powerful framework for understanding how ready a country is to support scalable drone operations. It assesses progress across six dimensions that together shape the future of digital aviation:
- Legislation: Are regulatory frameworks in place to support safe, commercial drone operations?
- Governance: Is there a strong public-private partnership driving UTM development?
- Strategy: Do the industry and administrations have a clear roadmap and vision for the strategic value of digital aviation?
- Operations: Are real-world BVLOS drone services being enabled and sustained?
- Technology: Are interoperable UTM tools being implemented and do these from a strong base for scalability of BVLOS operations?
- Business & Market: Is there a mature economic understanding of the low-altitude digital economy?
Together, these six pillars offer a global benchmark — not just for measuring progress, but for inspiring action. No single region or country is an absolute champion – we can all learn from best global good practices.
Global Momentum: Building a Framework for the World
At the international level, GUTMA is contributing to a key milestone: the ICAO UTM Manual, shaped by the Advanced Air Mobility Study Group. Expected by year-end, this manual will provide practical guidance for integrating drones safely and efficiently into national airspaces, a foundational step toward harmonized global operations. It will enable interoperability and regulatory convergence across continents, starting with a UTM framework for a limited number of BVLOS operations, but laying the groundwork for scalable digital aviation worldwide.
Regional Impact: From Dialogue to Deployment
In the U.S., GUTMA is working closely with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and industry leaders, building on the success of our Harmonized Skies 2024 event in Fort Worth, Texas. The North Texas Key Site Operational Evaluation is currently the only large-scale, operationally focused market opening globally — and it’s live. Here, companies are collaborating under the GUTMA Multilateral Agreement on Governance and Data Exchange, advancing shared airspace management in real-time. This isn’t theory — it’s execution of a federated model.
In the European Union (EU), GUTMA is partnering with leading associations to translate U-space regulations into action. We are advocating for the European Commission to treat U-space as critical digital infrastructure, not as a niche initiative. Our participation in the European Union Aviation Safety Agency’s (EASA) consultation framework ensures that industry voices help shape pragmatic, innovation-friendly regulation.
National Engagement: Turning Insight into Action
On March 27, 2025, GUTMA hosted the first-ever Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Network meeting, a practical, informal forum for global aviation regulators to align on BVLOS implementation. Using the UTM Readiness Report as a springboard, this meeting spotlighted emerging champions, surface shared challenges and helped convert isolated successes into global best practices. Around 50 representatives from approximately 20 Civil Aviation Authorities (CAAs) — spanning all global regions, including Africa and Latin America — engaged in open, concrete discussions and demonstrated a strong eagerness to learn.
Future CAA Network meetings will also share insights from the US Evaluation (North Texas was the first place, but can be extended to the whole U.S. national airspace system or NAS), a scalable model for BVLOS deployment relevant to any airspace with comparable regulatory and technical maturity. The Operational Evaluations coordinate governance across three levels and enable scalable commercial operations:
- Regulatory oversight blending existing drone frameworks with FAA Letters of Acceptance for strategic deconfliction.
- Technical interoperability anchored in ASTM F3548 and InterUSS, ensuring seamless data exchange between UTM service providers for strategic deconfliction purposes.
- Administrative governance supported by GUTMA’s multilateral agreement, enabling dependable operational coordination.
Innovation Tools: Shaping What Comes Next
But regulation is only part of the story. GUTMA is driving a broader innovation agenda, focusing on key enablers like cybersecurity, telecom integration and automation. We are asking our members and the wider ecosystem to help shape the next wave of tools. Key questions include:
- Can we build a reliable global market-opening metric, using insights from the UTM Readiness Report?
- Can we create automated testing and validation tools to speed up regulatory approvals?
- Can we define next-generation cybersecurity standards for drone operations at scale?
These initiatives are not aspirational. They are essential to enabling the future of digital aviation as a sustainable, secure and competitive sector. This is the critical mass of GUTMA members, industry and government, at work!
All eyes now on Zürich: Harmonized Skies 2025
All of this momentum converges at Harmonized Skies 2025, taking place on 4–5 November 2025 in Zürich — a city set to become one of Europe’s first fully designated U-space airspaces under the new EU regulations. This landmark event will highlight the ongoing progress in building a thriving drone ecosystem. At its core, the conference will showcase lessons from the UTM Key Site Operational Evaluation, with a focus on strategic deconfliction, the linchpin of a truly federated system.
But Zürich goes further. It will demonstrate real-world application of all four mandatory U-space services — E-identification, Geo-awareness, Flight Authorization, and Air Traffic Information — deployed within a U-space airspace designed through a comprehensive risk assessment. If all goes to plan, Zürich will be among the first operational U-space zones, signaling the opening of the European UTM market. The event will also spotlight international momentum, linking to Japan’s steady progress through strong collaboration between industry and regulators. In fact, Tokyo will host Harmonized Skies 2026 in June next year.
Zürich 2025 won’t just be a showcase — it will be a proving ground for what becomes possible when policy, technology, and industry advance together.
Everywhere we look, energy is building. From Texas over Kigali to Zürich, ecosystems are taking shape. The future of digital aviation is not a distant vision — it is here, emerging from cooperation, commitment and shared ambition.
Now is the time to act — together.
By: Koen De Vos