International drone flights between Russia and China are already being discussed — and ERA-GLONASS could play a key role in this.
This was announced by the head of Aurora-BAS, Dmitry Tretyakov. According to him, the technologies already allow launching such routes, but the main barrier now is not technology, but rules.
A good example is Blagoveshchensk and the Chinese Heihe. The cities are separated by only one river, and it would be logical to fly directly "from city to city." This format would be faster, more convenient and economically beneficial.
But in practice, everything is arranged differently. Now drones must operate through official checkpoints: with departure from an international airport, passing control and the participation of several departments at once — from customs to Rosselkhoznadzor.
In fact, drones are already ready for simple routes, but they are limited by a system originally created for classical aviation.
To change the approach, the creation of a joint working group with the participation of all services is being discussed — by analogy with the existing mechanisms at the border.
In this model, ERA-GLONASS can become the digital basis for controlling and coordinating flights. If the solution is implemented, it will pave the way for faster and more flexible international routes for drones.
