
Photo credit: ANWB Medical Air Assistance
Case Study - COMMERCIAL
ANWB Medical Air Assistance
Netherlands
Challenge
ANWB needed to safely operate BVLOS medical drone flights between two hospitals over 22km - transporting medical supplies, samples and medications - while working toward the structural integration of manned and unmanned traffic sharing the same Dutch airspace.
Solution
OVERWATCH fused real-time data from SafeSky (ADS-B) and Senhive (RF sensors detecting non-cooperative traffic), alongside partner NLR (Netherlands Aerospace Centre) - creating the most complete, real-time airspace picture available. This enabled ANWB to fly autonomously, multiple times daily, BVLOS from a remote location within a Temporary Restricted Area TRA, under Dutch U-Space framework. Four levels of distance-based alerts provided for traffic in the vicinity of the ANWB UAV.
Results
- Multiple autonomous BVLOS flights conducted daily between two hospitals over 22km
- Real-time conflict alerts for both cooperative and non-cooperative air traffic sharing the corridor
- Increased situational awareness without distracting the pilot from core flight responsibilities
- Foundation established for controlled, phased opening of Dutch airspace to other users
- Model targeted for replication across 12+ additional European sites including Austria and Switzerland