The General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has granted the UAE’s first U-Space Service Provider, USSP certificate, to Dubai Air Navigation Services (dans), in line with its efforts to regulate the unmanned aircraft sector and provide a supportive legislative and regulatory framework.
The USSP certificate follows the issuance in March of this year of the UAE’s first national regulation for approving UAS service providers. This certificate represents the first practical implementation of the regulation and demonstrates the readiness of the UAE’s regulatory framework to support safe and organized drone operations.
Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi Director-General – GCAA
“This USSP certificate represents an important practical step in implementing the national UAS regulation. It reflects the GCAA’s commitment to supporting innovation while maintaining the highest standards of safety and operational efficiency in line with international best practices. We commend DANS for their dedication and technical excellence throughout the rigorous certification process. Their achievement lays a strong foundation for future U-space deployment in the UAE.”
Ibrahim Ahli, CEO of dans, said that, “We are honored to be the first organization in the UAE to receive the USSP certificate. This recognition is the result of months of intensive collaboration with GCAA and our internal teams, and it reflects our strategic focus on future airspace management and unmanned traffic integration.”
To enable practical application of the regulation, dans, in collaboration with Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects and ANRA Technologies, has developed a platform to manage UAS traffic in the airspace. The platform allows immediate flight approvals, integrates radar, weather, and aeronautical notifications, enhances conflict detection and avoidance, and will support future urban air mobility applications.
The certification process required close coordination between both entities, involving extensive operational readiness assessments, system validations, and alignment with international best practices. It demonstrates the high level of interoperability, regulatory foresight, and digital infrastructure maturity within the UAE’s aviation ecosystem.
The USSP certificate underscores the UAE’s strategic intent to position itself as a global leader in smart air mobility and airspace innovation. It also enables the establishment of secure and efficient U-space airspace for drone operations in the UAE.
