What is UAS Traffic Management (UTM) – and Why Does it Matter?

As drones become a larger part of our daily lives by delivering packages, inspecting infrastructure, and supporting emergency response, the skies are getting busier. But unlike cars on a highway, drones don’t have painted lanes, traffic signals, or stop signs to guide them.

That’s where UAS Traffic Management (UTM) comes in.

What is UTM?

UTM is a distributed digital system that coordinates drone operations in low-altitude airspace (generally under 400 feet). Rather than relying on human air traffic controllers, a network of UTM service providers collaboratively exchange information to ensure drones won’t be in the same place at the same time (a ‘conflict’), significantly reducing the risk of collision.

These digital highways in the skies are safe, dynamic, and automated; an invisible infrastructure that ensures drones have a clear path to fly their mission, just like our roads do for our cars.

UTM isn’t a new concept. It has been researched, developed, and implemented for over 10 years, and is supporting BVLOS missions today across the country through the U.S. Shared Airspace initiative.

Why is UTM Important?

• Safety: UTM ensures drones don’t collide with each other or operate in unsafe proximity.
• Scalability: As more drones take flight for deliveries, inspections, and public safety, UTM enables expansion without conflict.
• Fairness: UTM provides a structured way to communicate flight intent so that all operators—from commercial businesses to emergency responders—can safely share the same airspace.
• Priority: UTM allows critical operations to signal their intent and be given priority when needed, such as enabling a medical delivery to take off quickly and reach its destination without delay.
• Public trust: UTM gives cities, businesses, and residents the assurance that drones are operating in an organized and responsible way, which is essential for broader acceptance and adoption.

Without UTM, drone operations require manual coordination to resolve conflicts, which is time-consuming, inefficient, and prone to error. With it, entire networks of drones can operate at scale, making everything from rapid emergency response to same-day delivery possible.

Why Should You Care?

The FAA has released its long-awaited, proposed Part 108 rulemaking to enable Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone operations by rule.

Within the proposed rule is a clear requirement: most BVLOS flights must be planned without conflict, a function known as strategic deconfliction, which is exactly what UTM is designed to do.

While the details of Part 108 and Part 146 will be covered in a future update, here’s a key takeaway: UTM services will be needed, will be certified, and…

Airspace Link is Ready

AirHub® Portal is not just preparing for the future of UTM, it’s delivering it today. Recently approved and onboarded onto the U.S. Shared Airspace UTM network, AirHub Portal is already providing UTM services that enable operators to safely plan and execute BVLOS missions across the country.

With AirHub Portal, you get a Drone Operations Management System that supports your missions today—with work order management, flight planning, risk assessment, fleet management, and UTM services—and is already positioned to meet the requirements of tomorrow’s Part 108 rules.

The Future of the Skies

For operators, governments, and communities, the future of drone operations is about more than flying safely—it’s about making drones a reliable part of everyday life. From emergency response to infrastructure inspections to package delivery, drones will only scale if organizations can manage them seamlessly and with confidence.

That’s why UTM matters. It provides the structure to ensure flights are safe, efficient, and compliant, while giving organizations the ability to grow without creating chaos in the air.

Airspace Link is helping make that future possible. With AirHub Portal, operators and agencies can integrate UTM directly into their workflows, meeting today’s needs while preparing for tomorrow’s requirements under Part 108 and Part 146.