What was ÉALÚ-AER?
December 2025 marked the successful completion of the ÉALÚ-AER project, a major European initiative dedicated to advancing the safe and trusted integration of innovative air mobility services into shared airspace. ÉALÚ-AER brought together a strong consortium of partners spanning regulators, air navigation service providers, technology developers, research organisations, and operational stakeholders. Together, they worked towards a common goal: demonstrating how drones and other innovative air mobility services can operate safely, efficiently, and transparently alongside traditional aviation.
By combining advanced technology, real-world demonstrations, and strong stakeholder engagement, ÉALÚ-AER positioned itself as a key enabler for the future of integrated airspace operations in Europe.
Demonstrations: Proving the Value in Real-World Conditions
A cornerstone of the ÉALÚ-AER project was its series of practical demonstrations, designed to move beyond theory and show how innovative air mobility can work in real operational environments.
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Validated safe integration with existing air traffic management systems
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Showcased coordination with air navigation service providers
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Demonstrated digital tools to support situational awareness and decision-making
These demonstrations highlighted the importance of shared infrastructure and interoperability, providing tangible evidence of how future air mobility services can be deployed responsibly. Videos and images from these demonstrations capture the technical achievements and the strength of collaboration across the ecosystem.
Understanding Public Acceptance: Listening to Society
Beyond technology, ÉALÚ-AER recognised that public trust is essential for long-term success. The project carried out a nationwide social acceptance study in Ireland, combining stakeholder interviews with a large public survey.
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Survey reached a diverse audience across urban, suburban, and rural areas
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Most participants expressed a positive or very positive attitude toward innovative air mobility
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Top recognised benefits: medical deliveries, inspections, emergency response, and monitoring
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Concerns included privacy, safety, noise, and potential illegal use
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Public demanded transparency and regulation, with real-time identification of drone mission and operator
These insights reinforce the importance of public engagement and open dialogue as innovative air mobility continues to evolve.
Key Takeaways from ÉALÚ-AER
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Strong collaborative ecosystem: Brought together regulators, air navigation service providers, technology providers, and consortium members to address complex operational, regulatory, and societal challenges.
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High-quality outcomes recognised at European level: Work achieved TRL 8 recognition from SESAR Joint Undertaking, reflecting readiness for real-world deployment.
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Foundation for future collaboration: Infrastructure and knowledge can be reused and expanded in upcoming projects such as AIRMOB and PEAGASUS, ensuring continued impact.
Looking Ahead
As ÉALÚ-AER concludes, its outcomes continue to shape the future of innovative air mobility. Through real-world demonstrations, meaningful public engagement, and strong partnerships, the project has shown that technology, trust, and collaboration must evolve together. The lessons learned and infrastructure deployed will play a key role in supporting the next generation of projects and in building an air mobility ecosystem that is safe, transparent, and aligned with societal expectations.
About ÉALÚ-AER
ÉALÚ-AER is one of the first European Digital Sky Demonstrators to focus on U-space and Urban Air Mobility as part of the European ATM Master Plan designed by the SESAR Joint Undertaking (JU). SESAR JU aims at accelerating through research and innovation the delivery of an inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Digital European Sky.
Digital Sky Demonstrators, such as ÉALÚ-AER, are high-level Technology Readiness Level (TRL 7-8) projects that are funded in collaboration with the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) under the Connected Europe Facility (CEF) funding instrument.
ÉALÚ-AER partners include: FMCI (coordinator), Collins Aerospace, The Shannon Airport Group, Avtrain, DeepBlue, Manna, AirNav Ireland and Spright.
The ÉALÚ-AER Project is co-funded by the European Union under the Connecting Europe Facility programme, managed by CINEA, and supported by the SESAR 3 Joint Undertaking.
For more details about the project, please follow this link: http://ealu-aer.eu/
