Türkiye has established the legal framework for designated corridors that will allow unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones, to conduct long-distance and autonomous flights beyond the visual line of sight, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said.
A directive issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation on July 30 paved the way for the creation of these corridors, dubbed “drone highways,” enabling a new mode of transportation independent of road traffic.
The corridors’ boundaries, entry and exit points, flight directions and capacities will be digitally defined, allowing drone software to access the data directly. Artificial intelligence (AI) will help determine autonomous flight routes. In the event of a communication failure, drones will be directed to predesignated emergency landing zones without flying over residential areas.
The system is expected to support intercity cargo, logistics and medical transportation. Blood, medicines, vaccines and medical samples could be transported between hospitals, while supplies could be delivered to islands and settlements that become difficult to access during winter, Uraloğlu said.
The corridors could also facilitate the transfer of industrial components between factories, industrial zones and ports, as well as the inspection of energy and pipeline infrastructure, railways and highways.
The routes will not be open to recreational drone flights. Only pilots holding a P2 license will be permitted to operate within the corridors, subject to authorization from the directorate and through approved operators.
All drones using the system will also be required to be registered and equipped with the necessary software certifications.
