Background Risk Assessment Tool to Enable Airspace Design

Civil drone operations require robust collision risk mitigation between drones and crewed aircraft to ensure safety. This presentation introduces a layered conflict management approach to mitigate collision risk to an acceptable level. The approach strategically partitions airspace into operational zones to minimize the interaction between drones and crewed aircraft. To define airspace partitions, we leverage nationwide air traffic radar data, efficient H3 geospatial indexing, and non-aviation geospatial data, such as roadway topography, for contextualization. The result is a significant expansion of usable airspace for drones compared to prior methods, enabling efficient airspace utilization. The method is demonstrated in the complex airspace surrounding Van Nuys Airport, California, highlighting its value for scalable and safe drone integration.