A European aviation forum identified unresolved barriers to wider U-space adoption but did not point to an imminent overhaul of the framework, according to a report on the EASA Innovative Air Mobility Forum.
The forum, held on October 27–28, focused on clarifying proposals under EASA rulemaking task RMT.0748, including the technical relationship between Specific Operations Risk Assessments and U-space services. EASA Senior Expert U-space Stephane Vaubourg said the revision is targeting completion in the second quarter of 2028.
That timing means operators should not treat the forum as an in-force change to European airspace access or U-space obligations. The report says questions remain over who designates U-space airspace, how U-space service providers should be integrated and which entity can establish a geo-zone or other restriction when a manned aircraft needs to enter U-space airspace.
The discussion also leaves the proposed U-space light concept unresolved. EASA’s earlier proposal described U-space light as a way for member states to support large-scale beyond-visual-line-of-sight operations with a reduced set of mandatory services, but limited the proposed category to defined conditions: below VFR minima and outside controlled airspace, urban areas and complex environments such as ports, as the earlier report on EASA’s proposal explains. The proposal also relies on operational constraints and traffic information to mitigate the loss of strategic deconfliction before takeoff.
For pilots and operators, the practical position is continuity rather than a new operating permission. The forum report says EASA does not intend to change the regulation, introduce new services or alter current roles and responsibilities through the work packages, although existing services may be improved. Whether U-space light can be used in additional settings—particularly controlled airspace—remains subject to disagreement among member states, EASA and industry.