Wales Air Ambulance, a vital medical service provider across Wales, has adopted Altitude Angel's Approval Services platform to streamline and secure drone operations near its airbases. This deployment marks a significant advancement in airspace management, particularly for a service that responds to thousands of emergency calls each year.
Altitude Angel, known globally for its Unified Traffic Management technology, developed the Approval Services platform to facilitate safe and efficient drone operations. The platform allows drone operators to submit and manage flight plans that involve taking off or landing within an airport's Flight Restriction Zone (FRZ) or on privately owned land. It also streamlines the process for obtaining necessary permissions and handling any associated fees.
Wales Air Ambulance, which relies entirely on charitable donations to raise £11.2 million annually, operates four helicopters and a fleet of rapid response vehicles. These units provide critical medical services across diverse terrains, from rural countryside to urban centers, and along the Welsh coastline and mountain ranges. With the integration of Altitude Angel’s platform, the charity aims to enhance airspace safety around its operations at Cardiff Heliport and its headquarters in Dafen.
Deborah Stephens, Airbase Manager at Wales Air Ambulance, emphasized the importance of airspace safety in their mission. “As a lifesaving service, carrying out sometimes multiple missions a day, airspace safety is a priority. By utilising the Approval Services platform, we can ensure the safety of our crews and other airspace users on and in the vicinity of our airbases and can manage drone flight request permission and standardisation of the process for all parties. Altitude Angel has an excellent reputation, and its technology will now be deployed at our airbases in Cardiff and Dafen.”
Chris Forster, Chief Operating Officer at Altitude Angel, highlighted the significance of the platform's deployment with a critical service like Wales Air Ambulance. “Being able to deploy our technology at sites operated by blue-light services, such as Wales Air Ambulance, is testament to the platform we have developed which is being used daily, in the real world. Approval Services will help ensure the skies around where the air ambulances operate remain safe for all airspace users.”
This collaboration underscores the growing role of advanced technology in managing complex airspaces, particularly as drone usage continues to increase. The deployment of Altitude Angel’s platform at Wales Air Ambulance's key locations is expected to set a standard for safe drone integration in areas where rapid response and emergency services are critical.
.png)
