Cornwall project to open new UK test airspace for drones and autonomous aircraft

A new collaboration at Cornwall Airport Newquay aims to unlock segregated airspace for long-range and high-speed uncrewed aircraft, as the UK seeks to expand domestic testing capacity for autonomous and defence systems

Work has begun on a project to expand the UK’s capacity for testing uncrewed and autonomous aircraft, using segregated airspace off the coast of Cornwall linked to civilian airport infrastructure.

Spaceport Cornwall is working with the National Drone Hub to establish a regulatory framework that would allow complex drone operations, including beyond visual line of sight flights, to be conducted from Cornwall Airport Newquay. The project involves the creation of a Specific Operations Risk Assessment, a requirement for higher-risk uncrewed aviation activity.

If approved, the framework would allow access to segregated airspace off Cornwall’s north coast, complementing existing maritime test areas off the Lizard Peninsula. The combined zones would support testing of larger and faster uncrewed vehicles than are currently permitted at most UK sites.

The National Drone Hub, operated by WholeShip in partnership with the Royal Navy, is the UK’s first Civil Aviation Authority-accredited drone test site. It already provides access to more than 8,000 square kilometres of segregated maritime airspace and is used for controlled testing of uncrewed systems.

The Cornwall project follows Spaceport Cornwall’s inclusion earlier this year in the Ministry of Defence’s £1bn Hypersonic Technologies and Capability Development Framework, a seven-year programme intended to accelerate the development of UK sovereign hypersonic capabilities.

That framework brings together around 90 organisations from industry and academia and is designed to support testing through to operational readiness. Spaceport Cornwall was selected for its horizontal launch capability, airport infrastructure and proximity to RAF St Mawgan.

Taken together, the two initiatives reflect growing pressure on the UK to expand domestic testing and certification capacity for uncrewed, autonomous and high-speed systems. Access to suitable airspace has become a limiting factor as demand increases from defence, aerospace and commercial operators.

Amy Smith, managing director at Cornwall Airport Newquay, said: “This joint project combines the expertise of two pioneering aerospace teams in Cornwall delivering national firsts in space and future air systems.”

Helen Stembridge, director at WholeShip, added: “We are delighted to be working with Spaceport Cornwall/Cornwall Airport Newquay to support and develop this dual use opportunity to benefit the airport, the county and the region.”

The project is supported by funding from Cornwall Space Cluster.

READ MORE: ‘U.S firm unveils hypersonic plane that can reach anywhere on Earth in 90 minutes‘. A hypersonic aircraft capable of flying from New York to London in less than 30 minutes has been unveiled by a U.S. firm.

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_{Main image, courtesy Spaceport Cornwall}