Aloft Air Boss: Industry-first platform enables local, state, and federal agencies to visualize, interact, and manage drone operations across their jurisdictions with unmatched data and communication capabilities, advancing BVLOS operations and DFR initiatives.
December 9, 2024 – Syracuse, NY: Aloft Technologies, the largest FAA-approved UAS Service Supplier (USS) in the United States, has announced the release of Aloft Air Boss, a groundbreaking UTM platform designed to transform airspace management. By enabling authoritative agencies to achieve real-time situational awareness and collaboration across their jurisdictions, Air Boss is set to revolutionize Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations and empower Drones as First Responders (DFR) programs.
This latest innovation builds upon Aloft’s market-leading UTM network, leveraging exclusive data sets and patented technologies to deliver unparalleled operational oversight for public safety, state and local government agencies, as well as advanced commercial operations. With the Air Boss platform, agencies gain the tools to coordinate drone operations in real time, ensuring faster, more efficient responses to emergencies and orchestration of routine operations alike.
“Air Boss goes beyond traditional airspace management,” said Jon Hegranes, Founder and CEO of Aloft. “This is about enabling agencies to visualize, interact with, communicate, and manage operations in ways that were previously unimaginable. It’s transformational for initiatives like BVLOS and DFR, ensuring our partners can meet today’s needs while preparing for the future of airspace operations.”
Solving Real-World Challenges
Air Boss addresses critical gaps in airspace management by providing local, state, and federal agencies the ability to see, communicate, and collaborate with drone operators in real time. This capability is crucial for initiatives like DFR, where rapid coordination between operators and public safety teams can save lives.
With Air Boss, agencies gain:
-Comprehensive visibility of authorized and planned flights within their jurisdictions.
-Real-time communication data to coordinate directly with drone operators.
-Advanced telemetry integration for live BVLOS operations.
“Many of our customers, such as news agencies and local law enforcement, already collaborate manually,” said Hegranes. “With Air Boss, we’re eliminating that friction, enabling real-time communication and collaboration at scale, and unlocking the full potential of BVLOS and DFR programs.”
Across the Aloft UTM network, we often have many operators sharing the same airspace, such as after a storm or major event where we’ll see a mix of public safety, news gathering, insurance, utilities, and emergency response all operating together. Air Boss connects those dots and enables every operator on the Aloft UTM network to share their flight activity and collaborate via the Air Boss.
Built on Exclusive Data and Patented Technology
The release of Air Boss leverages Aloft’s patented Dynamic Airspace Platform and AirMesh Technology, which scale live telemetry feeds securely across the Aloft UTM network. These innovations enable a unique combination of airspace authorizations, flight and mission plans, surveillance and radar data (such as ADS-B and Remote ID), and live telemetry, providing agencies with unparalleled operational insight.
Perhaps most importantly is the actual identification of the operator. With radar or CUAS equipment, you can see a drone flying, and perhaps even have the drone details or operator location. With Air Boss, you’ll be able to see the actual details of the mission. So instead of “there’s a drone hovering at 97ft”, now the Air Boss can see “the Coast Guard is flying at up to 100ft and plans to remain in this operational area for the next two hours” along with who the RPIC is and her contact information.
This technology is particularly impactful for BVLOS operations, where situational awareness is essential for safe and compliant flights. Air Boss ensures that agencies can integrate their own live operations with Aloft’s UTM network, spanning the largest base of recreational, commercial, public safety, and government drone operators.
The feature also aligns with global standards, including:
-EU U-Space regulations for interoperability in international airspace.
-ASTM UTM standards for best practices in Uncrewed Traffic Management.
-Anticipated FAA Part 108 and BVLOS rulemaking, ensuring future-proofed operations.
Core across the Aloft Air Boss view is a mix of custom airspace (including any layers or advisories that you’ve added to your private view) and Aloft Geo (where Aloft has tens of millions of square miles of other official airspace and safety advisories).
NUAIR: A Key Development Partner
Over the last year, Aloft developed Air Boss in close collaboration with NUAIR (Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research Alliance), a leader in UTM and drone integration. NUAIR’s Center of Excellence (COE) provided invaluable real-world feedback, particularly on features, scalability, and security, ensuring that Air Boss meets the demands of BVLOS, from emergency response scenarios to drone delivery.
“Air Boss is the culmination of real-world feedback and technical excellence, delivering what agencies need today and what they’ll need for tomorrow,” said Ken Stewart, CEO of NUAIR. “Its blend of situational awareness and collaboration tools uniquely positions Aloft to future-proof customers for BVLOS operations, DFR programs, and evolving regulations. This is a vital capability for ensuring safe, efficient, and compliant operations in an increasingly complex airspace environment.”
Call to Action: Activate Air Boss for Your Jurisdiction Today
Agencies ready to create their Air Boss can contact Aloft today, with digital deployment available immediately. The scope of Air Boss is tailored to the geographic scope of each agency, ensuring a customized and impactful solution.
For more information, visit www.aloft.ai or contact Aloft at sales@aloft.ai.
About Aloft Technologies
Founded in 2015, Aloft is the largest FAA-approved USS in the United States, powering the largest network of recreational, commercial, public safety, and government drone operations. With patented technologies and exclusive data sets, Aloft is redefining airspace management and UTM, ensuring safer, more efficient skies for all stakeholders.
Commercial operators across every key industry, from media and insurance to State DOTs and public safety, rely on the Aloft platform every day for mission-critical team, fleet, and airspace management capabilities that maximize safety, security, and compliance.