CHALLENGES OF INTEGRATING UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS (UAS/DRONE) IN NATIONAL AIRSPACE : TANZANIA CASE STUDY

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Challenges of integrating Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS/Drone) into National Airspace: Tanzania Case Study Konga Epiphany Francis Dept. of Aviation Management Graduate School of Korea Aerospace University (Advisor: Prof. Keumjin Lee) Aviation industry is one of the fastest growing industries with strong historical record of safety compared to other means of transportation. In recent years, the innovation of UAS has increased air traffic meanwhile has added operational challenges. The rapid growth of UAS increases complexity in airspace management creating regulatory demand and operational demand for ensuring safety in air transportation. Existence of UAS not only increases congestion in airspace but also poses safety concern, as they have no uniformly established standards in operations like manned aircraft. Most of the countries are developing regulatory framework to benefit UAS potentials like survey and mapping, Aerial photography, Agriculture, Real estate, Surveillance, Delivery services, Search and rescue and Filmmaking. This study assess the challenges in integrating UAS/Drone in national airspace focusing on regulatory framework and operational perspective. Quantitative and qualitative method deployed. Data collected from major UAS stakeholders and analyzed using statistical tools like SPSS and Excel revealed that integration of UAS into national airspace faces regulatory, safety, technological and privacy protection concern. Operators raised concern on complexity on authorization process, limited flexibility on use of airspace, Costly and time consuming in certification process, lack of supporting tools in identifying the class of airspace and lack of harmonization in regulations. These constraints limit the innovation, delay missions and increased operational costs. Furthermore, lack of technology of detecting and avoiding obstacles hinders the operations in controlled airspace especially Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS). The study suggest that the UAS integration requires collaboration between regulatory bodies and stakeholders. Formulation of harmonized and friendly regulatory framework, advancement in technology, training to operators for compliance of operational standards to reduce safety risks and awareness to public about measures of protecting their privacy concern require prioritization for safe integration. Tanzania to benefit the opportunities of UAS applications, exiting regulations need updates to accommodate the demand of stakeholders, invest on modern technology of UTM for monitoring operations, emphasize law enforcement and enhance capacity building among aviation personnel. Equally important in ensuring that operators are well trained, compliant, and equipped with technologies that minimize risks to other airspace users. Eventually, successful integration will depend on continuous collaboration between regulators, operators, industry stakeholders, and the community. By adopting the recommended measures, Tanzania can benefit from UAS technology while preserving the aviation industry’s long-standing safety record. Keywords: Regulations, UAS, integration into national airspace, safety, cybersecurity, technology, privacy, airspace structure.

목차 (Table of Contents)

• CHAPTER1: INTROUCTION. 1
• 1.1. Research problem 2
• 1.2. Research objectives 4
• 1.2.1. General Objectives 4
• 1.2.2. Specific Objectives: 4
• 1.3. Research Questions. 5
• 1.4. Significance of the study 5
• 1.5. Study Limitation 6
• CHAPTER2: LITERATURE REVIEW 7
• 2.1. Theoretical framework 7
• 2.1.1. National Airspace 8
• 2.1.2. History of Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS). 13
• 2.1.3. Drone classification 14
• 2.1.4. Integration of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in national airspace. 15
• 2.1.5. Safety and Flight operations (UAS Operations) 16
• 2.1.6. Regulations in operations of UAS 17
• 2.1.7. UAS Technology 22
• 2.1.8. Public Acceptance on Privacy Concern 24
• 2.1.9. UAS Traffic Management (UTM) 26
• 2.1.10. Cybersecurity 27
• CHAPTER3: RESEARCH MODEL 29
• 3.1. Conceptual research model 29
• 3.2. Hypothesis of the research 30
• 3.2.1. Regulations in supporting integration of UAS in national airspace. 31
• 3.2.2. Airspace structure as challenge in integration 32
• 3.2.3. Technological Limitation in integration in national airspace 34
• 3.2.4. Safety Management in prevention UAS accidents 37
• 3.2.5. Cybersecurity vulnerabilities in integration of UAS in national airspace. 38
• 3.2.6. Public perception on privacy for UAS operation 38
• CHAPTER4: METHODOLOGY 40
• 4.1. Research Design 40
• 4.2. Data Collection 41
• 4.2.1. Target Population 41
• 4.2.2. Sampling method 42
• 4.2.3. Materials for data collection. 42
• 4.3. Data Analysis 43
• CHAPTER5: RESULTS 44
• CHAPTER6: DISCUSSION 70
• 6.1. Challenges of UAS integration in national Airspace 72
• 6.2. Summary of Findings and Solutions 85
• CHAPTER7: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION 88
• 7.1. Conclusion 88
• 7.2. Recommendation 89
• REFERENCES 92