Airport radar upgrade to unlock drone testing

Construction has begun on a new radar system at Cornwall Airport Newquay which bosses say will boost safety and allow testing of drones and other advanced aviation.

The work is expected to be completed this summer, a Cornwall Council corporate finance committee meeting heard.

A "specific operations risk assessment" has been submitted to the Civil Aviation Authority which would open up airspace off the Lizard peninsula, creating controlled zones where aircraft can be tested and operated safely, the committee was told.

The long-term aim is to ensure the airport is "positioned as a national asset for the development, testing and enabling of future flight opportunities", the committee was told.

Spaceport Cornwall, based at Cornwall Airport Newquay, has teamed up with the National Drone Hub to use a designated area of airspace for testing uncrewed aircraft of all sizes, it was announced in December.

The National Drone Hub is the UK's first CAA-accredited drone test site, offering four runways and more than 3,088 sq miles (8,000 sq km) of segregated airspace off the Lizard.

The scale of the airspace would enable operations of larger, high-speed uncrewed vehicles, including those travelling at supersonic speeds, according to Cornwall Airport Newquay.

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