CAA unveils roadmap to make BVLOS drone operations routine across the UK by 2027
October 22, 2025
The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has published its long-awaited Future of Flight: BVLOS Roadmap (CAP 3182), setting out how Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone operations will become routine across the UK by 2027.
The roadmap provides a detailed look at how drones will transition from today’s tightly controlled trials to full integration with crewed aviation, paving the way for scalable commercial and public service use.
BVLOS – the ability for drones to operate beyond a pilot’s direct line of sight – is seen as the key to unlocking widespread applications in healthcare logistics, infrastructure inspection, and emergency response. According to the roadmap, these capabilities will be delivered “iteratively between now and 2027,” in close collaboration between government, industry and the regulator.
“We need to be assured that BVLOS operations can be safely integrated into the UK’s airspace,” said Sophie O’Sullivan, the CAA’s Director of Future, Safety and Innovation. “This requires us to be satisfied that the operation itself is safe, that the technology has the appropriate safety features, pilots are appropriately trained, and real-world operations are enabled that integrate these technologies into UK airspace.”
The UK’s release of the roadmap comes just weeks after the FAA unveiled its own plan to allow BVLOS drone deliveries in the US.
From drone segregation to BVLOS integration
Rather than a single sweeping reform, the CAA’s strategy is built on gradual, data-driven progress. The document outlines four guiding principles:
- Segregation as a stepping stone: early BVLOS operations will take place in segregated airspace to build experience and evidence.
- Iterative policy development: interim “Concepts of Operations” (ConOps) will evolve alongside industry practice.
- Outcome-focused progress: regulations will be shaped by live operational data and specific industry use cases.
- Operational pathways: similar operations will be grouped together to streamline approval and safety case processes.
This incremental approach reflects the regulator’s intent to balance innovation with public safety, ensuring that each stage of BVLOS evolution is informed by real-world performance.
Anne-Lise Scaillierez, CEO of UK drone trade body ARPAS UK, welcomed the announcement, sharing that, “We value this transparent engagement and the focus on use cases that deliver near-term real value for the sector, supported by clearly articulated and progressive requirements for each scenario in the longer-term.
“The industry is, of course, ready to move faster, especially in lower air risk operations, and we will continue working collaboratively to help accelerate delivery.”
Three pathways to bring drones to the UK’s skies
The roadmap divides BVLOS development into three major “operational pathways”, each representing a different level of airspace integration:
Atypical Air Environment (AAE)
The first pathway focuses on operations in what the CAA calls the Atypical Air Environment — low-level airspace close to specific ground infrastructure. These are the most common early BVLOS use cases: inspecting power lines and railways, monitoring perimeter security, or conducting agricultural spraying.
- Now: single-operator trials authorised.
- By 2027: multi-operator AAE environments supported by Uncrewed Traffic Management (UTM) for strategic deconfliction.
At present, these operations are limited to single operators under tightly defined conditions. However, by 2027, the CAA expects to enable multiple operators to work within the same area simultaneously, supported by emerging Uncrewed Traffic Management (UTM) systems that can provide strategic deconfliction between flights.
Over time, the definition of “atypical” will also expand, allowing such operations to take place across a broader range of environments and altitudes.
Low-Level Urban BVLOS
The second pathway covers BVLOS operations in urban environments below 500ft, where drones operate alongside other airspace users above populated areas. These missions include last-mile delivery services — such as medical supplies, pathology samples, or consumer goods — which have been trialled in controlled corridors like the London Health Bridge project linking two hospitals.
- Now: limited “bespoke” operations in Temporary Reserved Areas (e.g. the London Health Bridge trial between hospitals).
- By 2027: multiple operators in controlled airspace;
- Beyond 2028: fully routine operations in uncontrolled airspace.
By 2027, the CAA anticipates that multiple operators will be able to conduct routine BVLOS flights in controlled airspace under standardised procedures. Beyond 2028, this capability will extend to uncontrolled airspace, marking a major step toward truly scalable urban drone logistics.
Fully Integrated BVLOS
The third and most advanced pathway, Fully Integrated BVLOS, represents the ultimate goal of seamless integration between uncrewed and crewed aviation across all classes of airspace. This includes offshore inspections, middle-mile freight logistics between distribution centres, and emergency air service missions such as search and rescue or disaster response.
- Now: segregated test operations.
- By 2027: controlled airspace integration.
- Post-2028: national coverage in both controlled and uncontrolled airspace.
Beyond 2028, fully integrated BVLOS flights will operate freely across both controlled and uncontrolled airspace — a milestone that would make routine, national-scale drone logistics a reality in the UK.
Technology will enable BVLOS drone expansion in the UK
The CAA highlights several enablers that will underpin BVLOS expansion:
- Electronic conspicuity (EC): ADS-B in/out for drones and crewed aircraft (978/1090 MHz) will become standard.
- Detect and avoid (DAA): systems will progress from testing to approval for higher-risk categories by 2028.
- UTM integration: moving from flight planning to real-time tactical deconfliction.
- Ground infrastructure: rollout of situational awareness stations and data feeds.
- SWIM interoperability: linking drone traffic management with traditional air traffic control systems.
The roadmap is closely tied to the UK’s wider Airspace Modernisation Strategy (AMS), which charts the evolution of national airspace to 2040. The CAA plans to publish its airspace architecture proposals in 2026, providing the framework for full integration of uncrewed and crewed operations.
If successful, the strategy would make the UK one of the first countries in the world to normalise routine BVLOS flight. For the NHS, it promises faster and greener logistics; for infrastructure operators, lower-cost inspections; and for the wider economy, an emerging ecosystem of autonomous aerial services.
“This technology has the potential to deliver huge benefits, and our roadmap sets out sensible and effective regulation that will enable the UK drone industry to continue to develop and grow,” says Rob Bishton, CEO of the UK CAA. “We are working closely with innovators and their positive reaction to our roadmap endorses our approach and will enable the UK to play a leading role as the market develops internationally.”
