Case Study: Unifly achieves safe, compliant integration of drones into manned airspace with Hexagon's Safety, Infrastructure & Geospatial Division (Luciad)

Unifly Shaping Drone Space with Luciad at the Core of its Innovative Platform

Unifly, an Antwerp-based spin-off that builds drone traffic management and operations software, set out to solve a growing safety problem: increasing near-misses between drones and manned aircraft and the need to integrate UAVs into commercial airspace. To present complex aviation data to non-expert pilots and connect drone operations with existing air traffic systems, Unifly built a cloud-based unmanned traffic management platform using Luciad technology from Hexagon's Safety, Infrastructure & Geospatial Division.

Hexagon's Safety, Infrastructure & Geospatial Division provided Luciad’s situational‑awareness and geospatial tools so Unifly could share real‑time drone positions with manned ATC, meet aviation standards and accelerate product launch. The solution has driven measurable uptake—more than 1,000 registered users (30% outside Europe), a second‑place finish in a European ATM software competition and a €5M investment from Terra Drone—improving coordination between unmanned and manned aviation and enhancing safety.

Unifly

Mark Kegelaers

Chief Executive Officer