On the 30th July new UK Air Navigation Order 2016 (ANO) regulations came into effect that ensure all drone pilots, operating any small drone (<20kg), cannot fly their drone higher than 400ft above the surface. Secondly, there is now a restriction on flying drones within 1km of protected aerodromes in the UK, unless the drone operator has permission from the air traffic control (ATC) unit in question. 

We at Seraphim Capital, the world's first and largest venture capital fund investing in space and drone start-ups, think that more regulation is a good thing for the growth of the commercial drone industry - there must be standards and rules set that all responsible drone operators abide by. The challenge for drone operators and pilots is that they need reliable, robust and real-time information to fly their drone safely and securely, within the rules.  

Our portfolio company, Altitude Angel, is working in partnership with the UK's National Air Traffic Service (NATS) and leading ATC technology provider Frequentis AG, to drive the integration of drone flight and operational data with information and systems involved in managing manned aviation. Altitude Angel's GuardianUTM platform is based on a number of key principles, not least ensuring data accuracy, relevance and real-time connection to aviation systems. 

A trusted, reliable and robust unmanned traffic management (UTM) platform is essential for supporting the implementation of drone regulations and for the future growth of the commercial drone sector. That's what Altitude Angel is delivering and we look forward to supporting the team along their journey.