Certified Providers Launch Drone Flight Management Services
Overview
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism issued IDs for the first time to certified UAS Traffic Management service providers (certified USPs) that meet requirements established by the Civil Aviation Bureau. Using certified USP services is expected to enable safe and efficient flight management while reducing procedural burdens on operators. As part of the phased introduction of the UTM system, NTT DATA Corporation and KDDI SmartDrone Inc. became certified USPs.
Key points
- The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism issued IDs to certified USPs for the first time.
- The phased introduction of the UTM system using certified USP services is underway.
- The certified USPs are NTT DATA Corporation and KDDI SmartDrone Inc.
Overview
Drones are expected to be used as industrial tools that address social challenges such as labor shortages and declining birth rates with an aging population, while creating new added value in areas including goods transportation and infrastructure inspections. As flight frequency is expected to increase further, a flight management framework is needed to prevent drones from approaching or colliding with one another, or with manned aircraft, in the same airspace.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism is promoting the phased introduction of UTM (UAS Traffic Management) for drone flight management. In the initial phase, the policy is to use systems operated by certified USPs that meet Civil Aviation Bureau requirements to provide support for coordinating flight plans and related functions.
Impact
The use of flight management services provided by certified USPs is expected to enable safe and efficient drone flight management and reduce the procedural burden on operators.
Details
On September 16, 2026, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism issued IDs for the first time to certified USPs confirmed to comply with requirements established by the Civil Aviation Bureau. The recipients were NTT DATA Corporation and KDDI SmartDrone Inc.
The standards that certified USPs must meet are established in the Review Guidelines for Issuing IDs to UAS Traffic Management Service Providers, established on March 31, 2026. Support for coordinating flight plans using certified USP systems and related functions is positioned as an initiative for the initial phase of the UTM system.