The airspace of the future: how to optimize it for aviation, defence and the environment

Published: 01 September 2023 13:25Updated: 01 September 13:25

At this year’s Aerospace Almedalen conference, LFV director-general Ann Persson Grivas and deputy director-general Magnus Corell spoke about the airspace of the future and how we might optimize it for aviation, defence and the environment.

The airspace is a limited resource that has to be available for both civil and military traffic. Additional to these considerations are the development of electric aircraft and unmanned aviation. Since February 2023, one of the LFVs primary tasks has been to provide services for unmanned aviation. The establishment of such services are currently under way.

“The need for automation in the aviation system is increasing. What we are doing now is the start of a long-term engagement that is part of the European plan for providing services to unmanned aviation – an exciting development”, says director-general Ann Persson Grivas.

“We also note that the growth of new vehicles, new areas of use, and the use of the different parts of the air will eventually lead to the integration of the different parts of today’s airspace”, says director-general Ann Persson Grivas.

In these efforts to establish the best ways to use the airspace, protecting the environment is key. There are great opportunities to optimize the airspace and simultaneously provide the conditions for more environmentally friendly aviation; in this regard, LFV plays an active role in development.

“Lower airspace can be developed so as to permit more environmentally friendly flight approaches to airports. In this regard, we have a special Government commission and will present our proposals after the summer. We are also focusing on changing flight paths on higher altitudes so as to reduce the environmental impact of aviation”, says director-general Ann Persson Grivas.

“The development of electric aircraft will create new challenges in terms of traffic with new patterns of movement. We contribute to this development through our expertise in safe, efficient and environmentally friendly air-traffic control”, says director-general Ann Persson Grivas.

The prevailing security situation underscores the need to ensure that our military defence has access to the airspace. As supplier of aviation service to the Swedish Armed Forces, LFV ensures that as the development of Sweden’s airspace proceeds, the Armed Forces’ needs are met.

Meeting the increased needs and demands of old and new airspace users is a challenging puzzle. Solving the puzzle will help to optimize the airspace of the future for aviation, defence and the environment.

More information about the Aerospace Almedalen contributors and their seminars can be found at aerospacealmedalen.se.