SkyGrid is a critical player in enabling safe and scalable Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) operations as a Third-Party Service Provider (TSP). Our third-party services will evolve and support AAM in three phases: near-term (2026-2028), mid-term (2028-2032), and long-term (2032+). We are working towards supporting the integration of AAM operations under existing regulation in the near- and mid-term, with a goal of offering high-assurance services for mature AAM operations in the long-term
Near-Term Operations
By 2026, the first uncrewed, autonomous, and AAM flights are expected to operate at a low density. SkyGrid’s system is expected to enter service this year and will provide relevant data and information to flight operators to enhance situational awareness in the current airspace and operating environment. This high-integrity data includes aeronautical data, environmental data, traffic surveillance information, and any other high-performance data needed to support early AAM operations.
During this phase, SkyGrid will integrate data from airspace data providers to support situational awareness and aid decision-making under current Visual Flight Rules (VFR) and Instrument Flight Rules (IFR). Our Digital Information Services will be utilized by operators for pre-flight situational awareness and serve as the primary information source for operators of uncrewed aircraft regarding in-flight situational awareness, high-assurance traffic surveillance, and decision-making.
Mid-Term Operations
In 2028, AAM operations for TSPs are expected to be more mature. SkyGrid’s system will provide alerting and advisory capabilities. Strategic and Tactical Planning Services will offer operators and airspace managers enhanced decision support to aid in the planning and execution of flights, including an integrated flight planning solution that will automatically validate and monitor flight plans.
Airspace structure and flight rules will most likely remain unchanged. However, SkyGrid’s services will expand to provide decision support for flight planning and responding to in-flight hazards and constraints. The addition of decision support services during this phase of operations will contribute to more efficient AAM flights and reduce the need for Air Traffic Control (ATC) intervention in AAM operations, leading to more scalable operations.
Long-Term Operations
In this phase, the SkyGrid system will support mature AAM operations, with a high possibility of these operations happening within corridors. These operations may take place with either minimal or no direct ATC involvement. SkyGrid envisions providing high-assurance strategic and tactical air traffic services that can support highly automated aeronautical decision-making in 2032. This includes functions like ground-based detect-and-avoid. Ideally, new flight rules will enable this by assigning responsibilities to TSPs within specific airspaces. These advanced third-party services will enable reduced aircraft separation in AAM. The operating environment will include new AAM corridors and new flight rules tailored for highly automated operations.
SkyGrid’s system will provide situational awareness and assist in both flight planning automation and in-flight decision-making automation with a flight operator in the loop. This will facilitate high-tempo operations, further lighten operator workload across all mission phases, reduce ATC workload, and enhance operational efficiency. During the transition to this phase, SkyGrid anticipates that its system will evolve from offering decision support to delivering highly automated decision-making in a responsible manner, assisting in maintaining a safe and orderly flow of traffic within AAM corridors as a TSP.
To learn more about how SkyGrid’s third-party services will support AAM operations in the current airspace and beyond, read our Concept of Operations.
