Navigating Future Flight: Societal Principles for Drones and Advanced Air Mobility in the UK

This report offers recommendations for the inclusive, sustainable, and socio-economically beneficial development of ‘future flight’ technologies – new forms of air transport which could revolutionise regional connectivity, delivery logistics, and public services.

Innovation in electric and hydrogen aviation technologies and a growing need for clean transport could see next generation drones, as well as electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles (eVTOLs) and regional air mobility (RAM) aircraft boosting sustainable connectivity between poorly connected towns, cities and communities across the UK.

Funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) through the Future Flight Challenge, this report, Navigating Future Flight: Societal Principles for Drones and Advanced Air Mobility in the UK, outlines key recommendations to ensure safe, inclusive and effective implementation that engages with social and community needs, expectations and concerns.

The report makes a number of key recommendations on Future Flight technologies:

• Public Good – Technologies should be prioritised for deployment where they offer more positive impacts than negative ones for society. This includes improving emergency response, connectivity in remote areas, and sustainability.
• Regulation – Developers and operators of technologies must be held accountable by independent bodies. Regulation should be established before roll-out and include issues such as accessibility, impacts on wildlife, noise, surveillance, and safety.
• Safety – Technologies must adhere to high safety standards, equal to or stronger than existing modes of transport. This includes robust training and licensing for operators and meaningful consequences for those who contravene safety standards.
• Social Inclusion and Accessibility – Vehicles and operations must be designed with accessibility in mind from the start. This includes considering all disabilities, including non-visible ones, and ensuring economic opportunities are accessible to all.
• Affordability – Services must be affordable to the public and not only available to the wealthiest. If taxpayer money is involved, the roll-out should prioritise areas with poor public transport connectivity.
• Environment – Limiting the negative impacts of technologies on wildlife and habitats must be a priority. This includes conducting independent research on impacts and involving experts in decision-making.
• Transparency – There should be full disclosure on the sustainability and supply chains of technologies. Public communication is critical to raise awareness and build knowledge of the risks and benefits.
• Collaboration and Consultation – Specialists and the public must be involved in the development of technologies. This includes consulting experts, NGOs, and the public in decision-making processes.