AirShare: Enhancing safety in uncontrolled airspace

A recent trial of AirShare at unattended aerodromes across New Zealand has delivered a clear win for airspace safety. The results position AirShare as a valuable uncrewed traffic management (UTM) tool with strong potential for national deployment. 

Developed by Airways New Zealand, AirShare supports the safe integration of uncrewed aircraft (UA) into low level airspace. Between October 2024 and June 2025, the system was trialled at 10 uncontrolled aerodromes across New Zealand. 

The trial aimed to: 

• Improve visibility of UA operations 

• Streamline approval workflows 

• Enhance safety in shared airspace environments. 

With feedback now received from all participants, the results show a range of benefits, from operational efficiency and improved workflows to increased safety and situational awareness. Many organisations reported that AirShare has become a core part of their daily operations. 

Trialling AirShare through a network of 10 New Zealand organisations in uncontrolled airspace was a significant step forward to support streamlined and safe access to low level airspace for all uncrewed aircraft.  In this article, we delve into what led us down the uncontrolled airspace path, the results of the trial, and looking ahead at next steps. 

Why AirShare in uncontrolled airspace?

Enhancing safety for all airspace users is central to AirShare’s mission and reflects a proactive approach to evolving aviation needs. By trialling the system in uncontrolled environments, Airways is not only supporting drone integration but also enhancing safety for traditional aircraft operators. 

Our goal is to foster a collaborative ecosystem where all users, whether flying a Cessna or a drone, can share the skies with confidence. These trials are laying the groundwork for a future where digital traffic management becomes a standard feature across all types of aerodromes in New Zealand. 

The trial: What did we aim to achieve?

This initiative was part of Airways’ ongoing commitment to advancing the UA sector in New Zealand. The trial focussed on: 

• Increasing visibility of UA operations 

• Streamlining flight approval processes 

• Enhancing safety in shared airspace 

• Capturing real-world insights from industry participants. 

AirShare’s Airspace Manager module was deployed within participating organisations, providing real-time visibility of drone activity and enabling airspace managers to grant authorisations directly through the system. 

The results: What did we learn?

The results demonstrated clear operational, safety and strategic benefits for all participating organisations, positioning AirShare as a valuable UA traffic management tool for use in uncontrolled airspace. 

Here we outline some of the key findings from trial participants. 

Significant increase in flight visibility/awareness

Airspace managers reported significantly improved awareness of UA activity. The trial revealed that UA operations were far more frequent than previously understood. 

• Tekapo Aerodrome reported a 10-fold increase in overall awareness of UA operations, based on the number of requests received via phone/email prior to using AirShare. 

• Across five locations in the Taupō group of aerodromes, 127 flights were logged during the 3-month trial, compared to 40 flights in the previous 3-month period. 

Efficiency and workflow improvements

Participants reported significant reductions in time spent processing UA flight approvals. Before AirShare, approvals were often handled manually via phone or email, creating additional workload.

According to the Mechanics Bay aerodrome: “The digital system has significantly reduced the workload for site managers and eliminated guesswork for both staff and UA operators.”

Enhanced safety and situational awareness

AirShare’s clear visualisation of UA flight areas eliminated ambiguity and improved coordination between crewed and uncrewed operations. This led to safer interactions and better planning for all airspace users.

Increased situational awareness leads to improved safety outcomes simply through aircraft operators and airspace managers being able to understand where a UA is likely to be in relation to their own operations.

Workflow integration

In order to effectively manage UA flight requests and ensure that UA operators received timely authorisations, each trial participant needed to integrate the AirShare system into their standard operating procedures. This was successfully managed by all trial participants.

The system’s intuitive user interface and thoughtful design were key factors in its adoption.

Looking ahead: Next steps

The AirShare UTM trial has clearly demonstrated the system’s value in improving the integration of uncrewed aircraft within uncontrolled airspace. By equipping airspace managers outside of controlled environments with real-time visibility tools, the trial revealed that UA operations were significantly more frequent than previously understood – underscoring the need for better coordination and oversight.

Airways International is now working closely with trial participants to transition them into a paid trial phase. This next step will help validate the economic viability of offering AirShare more broadly in uncontrolled airspace environments.

Assuming continued success, our focus will shift toward enabling a nationwide rollout, with key target locations including:

• Uncontrolled aerodromes and helipads
• Large landowners such as councils and government agencies that issue UA permissions
• Commercial sites with complex airspace and ground operations, including ports and mining facilities.

The success of this trial highlights AirShare’s potential to become a national standard for UTM in uncontrolled airspace. By improving visibility, streamlining workflows, and enhancing safety, AirShare is paving the way for a more integrated, collaborative, and future-ready airspace environment across New Zealand.

About the author

George Ridd is the Product Manager for AirShare, Airways International’s uncrewed traffic management system.  He has over 18 years of aviation industry experience in engineering, asset management, strategy and product management. He has a strong record of product management, project delivery, process improvement and delivering innovative solutions that meet stakeholders’ needs.

George holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) in Information Engineering.