Antwerp port levels up drone safety with major UTM upgrade

Drone operations at one of Europe’s busiest ports just got a serious upgrade. Unifly and SkeyDrone have rolled out a major update to the UAS Traffic Management (UTM) platform used at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges — a move that further strengthens safety, usability, and scalability for large-scale drone operations.

For context, this isn’t a small test site. The Port of Antwerp-Bruges is Europe’s second-largest port and one of the most drone-progressive industrial environments in the world. Since mid-2021, its PoAB DronePortal has quietly enabled thousands of safe, compliant drone flights in one of the most complex airspaces imaginable.

The numbers tell the story. More than 250 drone operators are registered on the platform. Over 13,000 operations have been created, with more than 7,600 flights already completed. The system has approved nearly 28,000 permission requests, including more than 2,300 beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations — still a major hurdle in many parts of the world.

The latest platform upgrade builds on years of collaboration between Unifly, SkeyDrone, and the port authority. It supports everything from routine industrial inspections to autonomous sample transport, and it’s designed to scale as drone activity continues to grow.

One of the biggest improvements is situational awareness. Updated airspace and obstacle data give operators a clearer picture of what’s happening around them, which is critical when flying near ships, cranes, warehouses, and active logistics zones. In a port environment where conditions change quickly, better information directly translates into safer flights.

The update also focuses heavily on usability. Clearer geozone visualization, refreshed map layers, and simplified explanations of flight rules make the system easier to understand, even for newer operators. On-screen guidance has been improved, translations have been updated, and the overall portal has been visually cleaned up to reduce clutter and confusion.

There’s also a rebranded and expanded online help environment, offering always-available guidance when operators need it most. And yes, Dark Mode has officially arrived — an upgrade many users will appreciate during long operational days or low-light conditions.

Unifly CEO and co-founder Andres Van Swalm says the release is about preparing for what comes next. With each update, he notes, the goal is to help the port unlock higher efficiency while raising safety standards, especially as operations become more automated.

SkeyDrone echoes that sentiment, emphasizing reliability and consistency for daily users across the port. Managing Director Stijn De Vleeschhouwer says the upgraded platform delivers a smoother, more intuitive experience without compromising operational control.

From the port’s perspective, the upgrade is another step toward a future-ready drone ecosystem. According to Didier Venneman, coordinator of drone operations at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, the more user-friendly platform lowers barriers for new operators while improving risk awareness and regulatory compliance in a highly complex environment.

Put simply, this isn’t just a software refresh. It’s a sign that port-based drone operations are maturing, and that large industrial hubs are increasingly ready for drones to become part of everyday logistics, inspections, and automated workflows.

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