SAFER SKIES, SMARTER CITIES: MASTERING UTM & DRONE FLIGHTS IN AFRICAN URBAN ENVIRONMENTS

This four-day intensive programme provides participants with a comprehensive understanding of Drone technology’s Autonomous Aerial Mobility and Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM). Running under the theme; Smarter Cities, Safer Skies, the programme’s curriculum is specifically tailored to the opportunities and challenges of introducing scalable AAM and UTM programmes into African urban areas.

Description

Medical delivery drones have saved thousands of lives in several African countries, including Mozambique, Malawi, Kenya, Nigeria and Rwanda; where they have transported medicines, vaccines, blood and other medical supplies into rural health facilities.

The drones have been proven to be fast, safe and sustainably efficient. But the challenge now lies in how such programmes can be safely introduced into urban areas where the number of people and buildings the drones will be flying over vastly increases.

So far China and the USA have led the delivery drone market in urban environments, although in Africa, Rwanda has now just started making such deliveries in its more heavily populated towns and cities.

Against this background, the masterclass will cover the latest regulations, the operational backbone of UTM systems (drawing from real-world implementations like Kenya's Konza Technopolis and the UNICEF Drone Corridor in Malawi), and the specific risk mitigation strategies required for flying over people.

Participants will engage in theoretical classes, simulated UTM control sessions, and practical flight exercises to manage drones in complex, populated environments safely. 

Who is this Training Course for?

  • Civil Aviation Authority personnel and policymakers.
  • Drone operators and pilots seeking to advance their qualifications for complex operations.
  • Urban planners and smart city developers.
  • Representatives from logistics, healthcare, and emergency services looking to integrate drones into their operations.
  • Entrepreneurs and tech innovators in the African drone space.

Course Objectives

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

  • Understand the international and African-specific regulatory landscape governing drone flights, particularly over people and in urban settings.
  • Explain the architecture and functionality of a UTM system and its role in enabling safe, scalable drone operations
  • Apply the Specific Operations Risk Assessment (SORA) framework to plan a flight mission in a populated urban area
  • Demonstrate practical proficiency in pre-flight planning, emergency procedures, and maintaining situational awareness when flying near people
  • Identify key infrastructure, logistical, and medical use cases for drones in an African urban context.