The company Droniq and the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) have established a new flight corridor for long-range drone flights in the Nordholz and Cuxhaven region. Regular operations are scheduled to begin this spring. The project, called "Achilles," aims to enable long-range drone operations in both civilian and military airspace. The corridor stretches 110 kilometers from the Nordholz military airfield via Cuxhaven to Heligoland.
Approval for the project was granted last year. Drone flights within the corridor can be conducted at an altitude of over 200 meters. It is planned that fixed-wing drones will be used primarily for these long-distance flights, as, unlike multicopters, they do not take off vertically but require a runway. Landing and takeoff of such drones will be carried out by a pilot within visual contact.
The project aims to lay the foundation for commercial and military long-distance drone flights. Potential applications include critical infrastructure protection, shipping lane monitoring, and environmental monitoring. Droniq manager Thilo Vogt emphasizes that the new flight corridor proves that unmanned aerial traffic is possible even over long distances, despite the stringent regulatory requirements.
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