So, the Future of Flight Action Plan is Out… Now what?

Louisa Smith, Chief Aviation Officer

UK Future of Flight Action Plan

The email notification popped up on my phone: The Future of Flight action plan has landed. Having quickly digested the slides, I wasn’t surprised by the content. It’s ambitious, for sure, but it’s also clearly needed. Excitement filled me, but scrolling through social media, it felt like the positivity surrounding this development was overshadowed by a sense of caution.

Here’s the thing: we’ve been asking for timelines, for concrete dates, and that’s exactly what the Future of Flight action plan delivers. It’s fantastic to finally have these targets in place. The dates might seem conservative to some and aggressive to others, but these dates, to me, are an appropriate mix of ambition and awareness of what it will take to get this working. The benefits — especially for critical services like the NHS — can’t wait another 5–10 years, patients and clinicians need access to the efficiency and speed that drone delivery offers. These dates mean more to me than just numbers on a page, I see this roadmap as ours; the industry, regulator, and government, our dates to own, ours to work together to ensure we hit the timelines.

Now, are there concerns? Absolutely — Safe integration with other airspace users in unsegregated airspace, public acceptance of scaled operations, and certification of technology that updates yearly to name a few. But it’s happening and this will open up a world of potential benefit if we get this right together. They’re not some futuristic pipe dream anymore. Remember those early days, the “what ifs” scribbled on the back of a napkin? We’ve well and truly graduated from that stage. Customers are chomping at the bit, the demand is real, and the pressure on the aviation industry is immense. The question isn’t “if” anymore, it’s “when.”

Apian’s image features in the action plan

The Future of Flight action plan might not be perfect, it might not address every single concern, but it’s a step forward. It’s a roadmap, a starting point for a conversation that needs to happen. We can’t let the fear of the unknown paralyse us.

This is our chance to shape the future of flight.

Let’s use this plan as a springboard for a constructive dialogue. Let’s identify the potential challenges, sure, but let’s also work together to find solutions. Let’s leverage the expertise of everyone in the industry, from regulators to pilots to those innovative minds who first dreamt of drone deliveries.

The future of flight is coming, and it’s up to us to make sure it takes off smoothly. So, let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work. The sky, as they say, is no longer the limit.