The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has established a robust regulatory framework for unmanned aircraft system (UAS) operations, setting the global standard for safety, efficiency, and integration into the airspace. Compliance with EASA regulations—including 2019/947 (UAS operations), 2019/945 (technical and maintenance requirements), and the U-space regulations 2021/664-666—is essential for organizations operating drones in the Specific Category or seeking advanced permissions like BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight) operations.

AirHub’s software platform provides UAS operators with the tools needed to ensure full compliance with EASA’s regulations, integrating risk assessment, operational planning, maintenance, and U-space airspace management into a single, streamlined solution. Below, we outline how our platform supports compliance across key regulatory areas.

Compliance with Regulation 2019/947: UAS Operations

EASA Regulation 2019/947 governs all UAS operations, focusing on risk management and operational safety. AirHub’s platform helps organizations meet these requirements by integrating key features designed to simplify compliance:

1. SORA (Specific Operations Risk Assessment) Compliance

• Ground Risk Class (GRC) compliance: Our platform allows operators to assess and mitigate ground risks using base maps integrated with people density tools. These tools provide real-time insights into the number of people in an operational area, helping to ensure compliance with the approved GRC and future quantitative approaches under SORA 2.5.

• Emergency Response Plans (ERP): Operators can develop and implement emergency response plans and workflows, including emergency checklists, ensuring compliance with SORA's emergency preparedness requirements (e.g., M3 mitigation).

• Strategic mitigations: Operators can analyze airspace structures, including IFR and VFR routes, to select safe operational areas away from high-density manned air traffic. This strategic planning helps reduce air risk classifications (ARC).

2. Operational Documentation

• Operations Manual (OM): Our platform enables users to develop, save, and update their Operations Manuals to meet EASA requirements, ensuring consistency across operational teams. These documents can include SOPs, emergency protocols, and compliance matrices.

• Checklists and workflows: Users can create and enforce standardized checklists and workflows for normal, abnormal, and emergency operations, minimizing human error and ensuring operational consistency.

  
  

3. Training and Competence Management

• Training and Skills module: Our training module tracks pilot certifications, including A1/A3, A2, and STS-01/02 certifications, and logs recurrent and specialized training. This ensures compliance with EASA’s requirements for remote pilot qualifications.

• Skill validation: The platform records practical skill validations, helping organizations demonstrate the competence of their personnel during audits or applications for operational authorization.

4. Flight Planning and Logging

• Flight planning tools: AirHub simplifies flight planning by integrating airspace data, risk assessments, and operational parameters. Operators can ensure compliance with SORA and EASA requirements by planning operations within approved airspace and maintaining real-time situational awareness.

• Logbook: The logbook feature automatically records flights, capturing essential data for compliance reporting and audit readiness.

Compliance with Regulation 2019/945: Maintenance and Technical Standards

EASA Regulation 2019/945 sets out requirements for the maintenance of UAS and associated systems. AirHub’s platform streamlines compliance with maintenance standards, ensuring the continued airworthiness of drones and safety-critical components:

1. Asset Management

• Drones, batteries, and payloads: Operators can track the status of all assets, including firmware versions, maintenance schedules, and total flight hours, ensuring compliance with maintenance intervals and reducing downtime.

• Parachute systems: For operations requiring impact mitigation (e.g., parachutes), our system records documentation and maintenance logs, ensuring compliance with technical requirements under SORA (e.g., Light-UAS.2512).

2. Maintenance management

• Scheduled maintenance: Users can create detailed maintenance workflows, assign tasks to technicians, and track progress in real time. Maintenance schedules can be based on time, flight hours, or the number of operations, ensuring that all equipment remains airworthy.

• Documentation storage: Operators can store manufacturer declarations, robustness reports, and other maintenance-related documents directly in the platform, ensuring easy access during audits.

Compliance with U-space Regulations (2021/664-666)

The U-space framework introduces new requirements for managing UAS in controlled and integrated airspaces. AirHub supports operators in meeting these requirements through integration with leading UTM platforms like Altitude Angel, providing seamless access to U-space services:

1. Airspace Access and Approvals

• Dynamic airspace data: Our platform integrates real-time airspace data, allowing operators to determine the appropriate airspace class and submit airspace access requests directly through UTM platforms. This ensures compliance with U-space requirements for airspace authorization.

• Integration with ATC: Through UTM platforms, AirHub supports operators in obtaining automatic approval from Air Traffic Control (ATC) or other airspace managers, streamlining operational workflows.

2. Tactical Airspace Awareness

• Integration with radar systems: AirHub integrates with ADS-B feeds and unmanned traffic systems like DJI Aeroscope and Senhive, providing operators with real-time situational awareness. This enables compliance with tactical mitigation performance requirements (TMPR) for detecting and avoiding other airspace users.

Comprehensive Compliance Support Across Regulations

AirHub’s platform goes beyond supporting individual regulations by offering a holistic solution for managing compliance across the board. Features like document management, incident reporting, and safety performance monitoring ensure that operators can meet ongoing regulatory requirements and prepare for audits:

• Audit readiness: Our platform stores all operational documentation, risk assessments, and compliance records, simplifying audits with the National Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

• Regulatory updates: AirHub Consultancy’s support and compliance packages ensure that operators stay up to date with changes in EASA regulations or national guidelines, minimizing the risk of non-compliance.

Conclusion: Simplifying EASA Compliance with AirHub

Navigating EASA’s regulatory framework can be challenging, but AirHub’s platform provides the tools and expertise needed to ensure seamless compliance with regulations 2019/947, 2019/945, and U-space (2021/664-666). By integrating features like SORA compliance, airspace integration, and asset management, AirHub empowers operators to streamline workflows, reduce risks, and maintain regulatory approval.

Whether you’re conducting on-site VLOS operations or advanced BVLOS missions with platforms like the DJI Dock, AirHub provides the support you need to achieve and sustain compliance with EASA’s rigorous standards.

For more information or to schedule a demo, visit www.airhub.app.