Wales Air Ambulance has partnered with Altitude Angel to deploy their innovative Approval Companies platform, enhancing the country’s emergency response capabilities.

As the world’s leading provider of UTM (Unified Visitors Administration) expertise, we are pleased to announce that Wales Air Ambulance has become the latest organisation to deploy our Approval Companies platform, empowering drone operators to request and pay for operations that include taking off and landing from a landowner’s property.

In Wales, the Wales Air Ambulance provides exceptional medical care across the country, relying heavily on charitable donations to fund its operations, which require a staggering £11.2 million annually to keep its helicopters airborne and rapid response vehicles on the move.  

Each year, Wales Air Ambulance’s four helicopters and rapid response vehicle fleet respond to hundreds of missions, safeguarding rural landscapes, urban areas, and rugged mountains along the Welsh coastline. The charity’s innovative Approval Service platform will be rolled out across two key locations: Cardiff Heliport and the organization’s headquarters in Dafen.

Described upon its launch by then Aviation Minister Baroness Vere as a crucial step towards achieving the UK’s ambitious goals outlined in the Way forward for Flight Business Group, Approval Companies enables drone operators to submit flight plans that either wholly or partially take place within an airport’s controlled airspace or require permission from landowners, allowing for rapid and secure approvals, while also streamlining any applicable fees imposed by airports or landowners once a flight is cleared.

According to Deborah Stephens, Wales Air Ambulance’s Airbase Supervisor, “As a lifeline service completing numerous critical missions daily, ensuring the security of our airspace is paramount.” Through the Approval Companies platform, we ensure the safeguarding of our personnel and airborne clients near our airbases, enabling us to manage drone flight requests and standardize procedures for all occurrences with absolute certainty. Altitude Angel’s exceptional reputation and capabilities are now being leveraged at our airbases in Cardiff and Dafen.

“With our platform’s proven capabilities deployed across websites operated by reputable organizations like Wales Air Ambulance, it’s a testament to the real-world impact of our expertise.” Airspace authorities and companies will collaborate to ensure that the surrounding skies remain safe and secure for all aircraft operators.