Certiflight, the European research project has reached a key milestone and ends its validation campaign, which intended to test the feasibility of the technology in different use cases.
The last test to be carried out was in the Port Surveillance scenario, which aimed to perform a real-time demonstration of Certiflight capability to support ongoing operational activities within the port area. The test flights have been carried out during the month of January 2025 at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, which is one the largest and most dynamic ports in Europe.
For this reason, this location has been the ideal scenario to test the capabilities of Certiflight. The port uses drones to carry out surveillance and protection tasks in many situations, including dangerous activities such as oil leaks. In such events, accurate and authentic drone position information from Certiflight and areal images from the payload camera are the necessary input for the Port Authority to effectively carry out the activities. After these tests Certiflight proved that its technology is useful when performing real-time tasks such as capturing photos and videos for infrastructure inspection and debris management.
The Port Surveillance scenario demonstrated how UTM can enhance security in complex, high-traffic environments by enabling port authorities to manage multiple workflows simultaneously, implement a multi-layered authorization process including automated approvals, and deploy robust real-time surveillance and detection capabilities.
Certiflight technology leverages advanced EGNSS algorithms and blockchain to ensure the authenticity and integrity of flight data. This tamper-proof and legally enforceable system offers unprecedented transparency and accountability, preventing data manipulation and providing reliable records for use by regulators, law enforcement and investigators.
Conclusions
Andres Van Swalm, CEO of Unifly, the company in charge of conducting the tests in this validation scenario and Certiflight partner has highlighted that the demonstration at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges is a turning point for the project. It exemplifies how blockchain-backed UTM solutions can improve security, transparency, and accountability in complex environments.
About the Certiflight validation campaign
For more information about the Certiflight validation camapaign, please visit the Validation page.