UAS Advisory Committee
A collaborative forum supporting CAA and industry in developing the UK’s UAS regulatory landscape.
The UAS Advisory Committee is a working group established by the CAA and comprising senior figures from across the UAS industry. It has been created as a means by which industry may convey a coordinated stakeholder view and collaborate with the CAA on regulatory improvements and future developments in the sector.
Membership
The UAS Advisory Committee is co-chaired by an industry representative elected by committee members (Aleks Kowalski, ARPAS UK) and the CAA’s Head of FS&I Technical Strategy. Designed to reflect the UK UAS Sector as comprehensively as possible, the Committee’s membership includes: Commercial Operators in the Specific Category; Manufacturers; RAE-F’s; RAE-PC’s; Stakeholder Working Groups; Trade Bodies, and Standards Bodies.
The Committee is currently made up of representatives of the following organisations:
- ADS Group
- ARPAS-UK
- Atkins Realis
- Avtrain
- BSI Group
- BT
- NATS/BVLOS Operators’ Forum
- CAA
- DJI
- Drone Alliance Europe
- University of Liverpool
- Marshall Group
- RUAS
Members were selected by the CAA through an open competition, following a public call for applications on consultations.caa.co.uk
Scope and Aims
The aim of the UAS Advisory Committee is for industry to complete work to assist the CAA. Industry participants are asked to commit to completing the majority of the work – with CAA input and direction, so that outputs are efficient and aligned with the CAA’s objectives and programmes of work.
The Committee has three roles:
- Discussing strategic direction
- Prioritising work
- Completing research and advising on specific questions
In all three of these roles the UAS Advisory Committee is designed to act as source of information. The Committee can produce reports and make recommendations, but the CAA will choose whether to accept the recommendations or not.
Reports produced by the UAS Advisory Committee will be published and the CAA will formally respond to reports, explaining how the report has influenced any CAA policy decision and (where applicable) what action will be taken.
Current tasks
The process has six phases:
- Phase 0 – Set up
- Phase 1 – Develop plan
- Phase 2 – Review plan
- Phase 3 – Plan in progress
- Phase 4 – CAA response
- Phase 5 – Completion
Description:
Many UAS operations in the Specific Category share similar safety cases. In these cases, a single safety case can be developed for operators to declare compliance or be assessed against, simplifying applications and reducing workload and cost for both applicants and the CAA. Examples include the UK’s PDRA01 (Pre-Defined Risk Assessment) and EASA’s PDRAs and Standard Scenarios (STS).
Objective:
Develop a UK strategy for standardised applications in the specific category of UAS operations. This is intended to:
- Simplify the application process, improving speed and accessibility
- Reduce processing time and costs
- Maintain or enhance safety
Current Status:
Phase 4 – CAA response
The subgroup has investigated options for standardised applications, drawing on use cases, a wide base of stakeholders, and learnings from other authorities. The subgroup has now completed a report for the CAA, containing a recommendation for how the UK might best approach Standardised Applications, based on industry demand and regulatory fit.
Next Steps:
The CAA will consider the work of the subgroup and present potential standardised applications to the Committee as a response.
Description:
In April 2025, UK SORA became the risk assessment methodology for Specific Category UAS operations. While it has sped up approvals for some operators, the change also introduced new challenges. The CAA aims to continuously improve UK SORA, its supporting materials and the application platform. We are currently using application data, feedback and our expertise to make improvements. We would like to ensure the voice of industry is being considered when implementing these improvements.
Objective:
Gather industry experience on completing UK SORA applications and use it to improve the process.
Current Status:
Phase 5 - Completed
Next Steps:
The CAA will consider the views of the Committee in designing and implementing changes to UK SORA.
Description:
The task and finish group will explore how recognised standards could be mapped to those requirements and used as Acceptable Means of Compliance, providing clearer expectations for manufacturers, operators and assessors while supporting a more consistent and scalable SAIL marking and assessment process.
Objective:
Identify how recognised standards could support the SAIL Mark and operator SAIL assessment routes, and where they could provide a clearer basis for demonstrating compliance under UK SORA.
Current Status:
Phase 1 – Develop plan
Work is underway to align the scope of the task between Industry and the CAA, to ensure the task is as effective as possible in shaping regulatory policy to respond to industry requirements.
Next Steps:
Further details will follow once the task’s scope and process have been agreed.
Description:
A subgroup of the Committee will develop guidance and advice for the CAA, to support drafting of a policy concept for Multiple Simultaneous Operations of UAS.
Objective:
Create a recommendation report on how the policy for MSO should be structured based on the types of operation industry are planning and experience of what has been effective internationally.
Current Status:
Phase 2 – Review plan
The proposed approach has now been designed by the CAA and is currently under review by the Industry Lead.
Next Steps:
Subject to final agreement, we aim to share the task briefing and supporting information with committee members ahead of the next Advisory Committee meeting.
Description:
Industry highlighted concerns about limited recognition of international experience, flight data and Means of Compliance. Strong support was expressed for harmonisation, reduced duplication, and greater use of alternative means of compliance. Industry expressed a wish to assist the CAA in making the most of international data and develop a list of international projects and data sources that the CAA could use to inform policy development.
Objective:
To progress the CAA’s understanding and recognition of international experience, flight data and means of compliance, to improve UK UAS regulatory policies
Current Status:
Phase 3 – Plan in progress
Next Steps:
The CAA Test & Evaluation team will work closely with UAS operators with both UK & international operations, comparing data from the two domains.
Description:
It is recognised that UAS have the potential to be used in ways which may either remove persons from exposure to harm and/or reduce the exposure of the general public to certain risks. Current UAS legislation, however, only allows the CAA to assess the increase in risk posed by a particular operation to other aircraft or individuals on the ground.
Objective:
To demonstrate the wider positive safety impact of UAS operations, and a potential process for assessment and approval of a particular operation.
Current Status:
Phase 3 – Plan in progress
Task 6 has now entered the delivery phase. A key element of this work will involve engagement with stakeholders and subject matter experts across the sector.
Next Steps:
Committee members have been invited to participate in the delivery phase activities. This is to include sharing the participant survey with relevant contacts and networks who may be interested in contributing.
Governance
Secretariat functions, including minutes and meeting logistics, are provided to the UAS Advisory Committee by the CAA. The cadence of meetings is agreed by the co-chairs in consultation with Committee members. There is no funding allocated for the running of the UAS Advisory Committee.
A draft Terms of Reference was published alongside the CAA’s call for applications.
Recent meetings and summaries
The sixth meeting of the UAS Advisory Committee will take place on 15 October 2026.
The Committee reviewed progress across all active industry tasks, noting continued development Task 01, further work to define the scope and priorities of the Common Industry Standards and MSO Policy Concept tasks, analysis of international data sources under an aligned Future Flight Programme initiative, and the ongoing development of the Holistic Risk Reduction task. Members also received CAA updates on proposed changes to the Remote Pilot Competency framework, forthcoming consultations, and ATM/ANS policy developments. Several follow-up actions were agreed, and the next Committee meeting was to be scheduled for October.
The Committee received updates on several CAA initiatives, including the Support Hub survey, DAA and C2 policy development, Electronic Conspicuity, the Light UAS Operator Certificate (LUC) trial, high seas UAS operations, ground infrastructure, and forthcoming UTM policy consultations. Members were encouraged to engage with upcoming consultations, trials and stakeholder activities. Industry task discussions focused on the development of Common Industry Standards, greater recognition of international data sources and alternative means of compliance, earlier industry engagement on the MSO Policy Concept, and further scoping of the Holistic Risk Reduction task. A backlog process for future task proposals was agreed, additional guidance on information sharing was requested, and an extraordinary EC engagement session was to be arranged.
The Committee reviewed progress on Task 01, including work on standardised applications across three work packages, and confirmed Task 02 is now active with the UK SORA focus group established. Members were briefed on a four‑phase task process to ensure consistency. Prioritisation outcomes led to four new tasks being initiated, including holistic risk reduction. Quarterly meetings were agreed, with monthly progress updates requested.
The December meeting focused on progressing Tasks 01 (standardised applications in the Specific Category) and 02 (UK SORA focus group), assigning leads and agreeing next steps. Members reviewed 63 ideas for further tasks consolidated into 27 themes, and voted on which tasks to take forward. A collaboration site was launched, and an ambition to meet monthly was agreed. Measures to enhance the Committee’s reach were agreed, including publishing recommendations and a public-facing summary.
Members committed to collaboration and transparency, agreeing on operating principles and governance. Key priorities were discussed, including accelerating BVLOS development through CAA and community roadmaps aligned with SORA 3.0. The agreed objectives of initial tasks would be improving the SORA digital platform and mapping UAS use cases. A co-chair selection process began, and meeting cadence was set to monthly/bimonthly.