The UAE is taking a leading role in developing the regulations and infrastructure that will govern autonomous flying taxis and delivery drones, setting a precedent for other nations pursuing Advanced Air Mobility (AAM). The Technology Innovation Institute (TII) and ASPIRE—both operating under the Advanced Technology Research Council—are working alongside the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) to build one of the world’s first simulation-based frameworks for regulating autonomous flight. The effort is part of a broader national strategy overseen by the Smart and Autonomous Council to advance autonomous systems and next-generation mobility.
While interest in AAM continues to rise globally, few countries have established operational rules or simulation tools to manage autonomous aerial vehicles. The UAE’s initiative, which includes simulation-driven trials across Abu Dhabi, is helping to define the regulatory and technical standards needed for urban airspace management. The work focuses on developing realistic airspace corridor models that account for wind dynamics, flight paths, and safety buffers, with the goal of supporting both manned and unmanned aircraft while minimizing ground risk.
The project’s framework is organized around four main workstreams: designing safe air corridors, setting aircraft separation standards, integrating unmanned traffic management with traditional aviation systems, and advising on regulatory reforms to support different stages of AAM maturity. Pilot testing is currently underway at three sites—Yas Island, Zayed Port, and Abu Dhabi International Airport—which have been selected for their potential as future vertiport and heliport hubs. These sites provide real-world environments to validate airspace configurations through simulations developed in collaboration with the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).
The UAE’s approach also includes defining a layered airspace system for urban flight operations. Under current modeling, drone operations would occupy altitudes up to 500 feet, followed by a 500–1000-foot safety buffer, then an air taxi cruising zone between 1000 and 3000 feet, and finally the conventional air traffic layer above 3000 feet. These layers are being refined using 3D wind and terrain simulations to determine safe operational zones and emergency routing paths.
Officials involved in the program emphasize that regulatory evolution must keep pace with technological innovation. Eng. Aqeel Al Zarooni of the GCAA noted that the collaboration ensures the alignment of Air Traffic Management (ATM) and Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) systems within UAE airspace. TII CEO Dr. Najwa Aaraj added that regulatory foresight is as important as technical capability in enabling safe urban flight. ASPIRE’s Executive Director, Andrew Strefford, highlighted that the Abu Dhabi trials are not only about technology but also about building global trust in the safety and governance of urban air mobility systems.
The project will run over two years, using progressive testing and validation phases to refine corridor design and ensure regulatory readiness. It supports GCAA’s long-term goal of establishing a framework that can eventually accommodate both piloted and fully autonomous air taxis and cargo drones.
According to Dr. Enrico Natalizio, Chief Researcher at TII’s Autonomous Robotics Research Center, large-scale simulation of airspace conditions is essential to developing adaptable, safe frameworks for urban flight operations. The UAE’s simulation-based approach—anchored by TII’s technical modeling and supported by ASPIRE’s ecosystem coordination—positions Abu Dhabi as a key testbed for next-generation transport regulation and as a model for smart city innovation worldwide.
