Port of Antwerp-Bruges received final approval for drone network

March 6, 2023

Port of Antwerp-Bruges and its partners Dronematrix, Skeydrone and Proximus were given the green light to launch their drone in a box network D-Hive. This means that an operational authorization was given for BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight) automated drone flights to take place on a daily basis in the Antwerp port area, a first in the world.

The approval was underlined by the visit of key representatives of European and national regulatory authorities related to drone aviation (EASA, Eurocontrol, FPS Mobility and Transport, Skeyes, DGLV). During this visit they witnessed the first authorized flight of a BVLOS drone near the Kieldrecht lock, operated from a Command & Control Center located in the center of the port.

bezoek van EASA en Euro control aan de controle kamer voor automtisch BVLOS drones te laten vliegen

The approval signifies the start of an operational drone network.”

The operational authorization is built around a new BVLOS framework (also known as pre-Uspace airspace) built by Skeydrone and approved by BCAA (Belgian Civil Aviation Authority) and EASA (European Union Aviation Safety Agency) as a legitimate and safe framework for BVLOS flights. With the approval of this framework, all is set to fully operationalize the D-Hive network of automated drones in the next months.