Sharing Airspace: The Future of Aviation

Abstract

In recent years, unmanned air traffic has increased substantially, leading to unprecedented pressure on airspace capacity. This development necessitates enhanced interaction among various airspace stakeholders, where coordinated efforts and mutual understanding are essential for establishing a safe and efficient shared airspace. The aim of this thesis is to explore the gaps that emerge in the integration of manned and unmanned aviation within such a context.

Through a combination of literature review, qualitative interviews, and field observations, both overlaps and tensions between regulations, actors’ experiences, and observed practices are identified. The analysis is based on a deductive approach, supplemented by the inductive development of new insights. The qualitative interviews reveal contrasts between manned and unmanned actors regarding the role of technology, the understanding of integration, and processes of professionalization. These differences influence which themes the informants highlight as central within the main categories of the analysis. The discussion draws on an adapted Swiss Cheese Model, where the “holes in the cheese” are interpreted not as safety barriers but as existing challenges and dynamic gaps in the establishment of a shared airspace. This serves as the basis for a discussion of different understandings of reality, with particular emphasis on how to bring together – or separate – stakeholders. It addresses how parallel development processes and a lack of coordination between sectors affect progress, as well as the consequences of fragmented political governance and distributed social responsibility. The analysis also highlights the risk of responsibility shifting when the actor landscape is simplified in the design of airspace solutions. Furthermore, the distinction between “shared airspace" and "sharing airspace” is examined, along with its implications for future airspace structures and regulatory decisions – including the role of U-Space and UTM. Finally, it explores who the airspace is actually shared with, how variation in the actor landscape affects integration, and what this means for professionalization and accountability.

The thesis concludes that the challenges associated with the integration of manned and unmanned aviation concern not only technology and regulations, but equally trust, coordination, and shared understanding across sectors, actor levels, and broader societal considerations – such as public acceptance and distribution of responsibility.