UK drone regulation risks rewarding those who ‘ask forgiveness rather than permission’

Britain has ambitions to make routine beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) drone operations a reality, but manufacturers still face significant barriers when trying to move promising technology into service.

Jenna Copley, director at UK drone manufacturer UAVTEK, told ADS Advance that approvals remain difficult to secure at scale.

“BVLOS approvals remain slow, expensive and difficult to scale,” she said. “In some cases, it’s easier and more cost-effective to develop and demonstrate capability overseas than in the UK.”

UAVTEK has carried out significant operational activity in countries including Jordan and Ukraine, where Copley said the route to deployment can be more practical.

When following the rules becomes a disadvantage

One example involved a UAVTEK project to develop a drone capable of carrying and dropping a life preserver to someone in the water.

The company sought approval for the operation but encountered a regulatory roadblock, and the project was abandoned.

“Another operator carried out a similar mission without seeking permission and ultimately won the business,” Copley said. “That creates a difficult environment for responsible operators. If companies that follow the process lose opportunities to those that do not, the industry risks drifting towards an ‘ask forgiveness rather than permission’ culture.”

Regulators are attempting to create the infrastructure needed for larger-scale drone operations. Ofcom has proposed opening additional spectrum for drone control links, while the Civil Aviation Authority has published an Airspace Architecture Concept of Operations setting out how routine BVLOS flights could eventually operate alongside crewed aircraft.

But the UAVTEK experience illustrates the commercial risk if regulatory pathways move more slowly than the technology.

The wider challenge is explored in the Autumn 2026 edition of ADS Advance, which examines whether the communications, regulatory and space infrastructure needed to support drone operations at scale is developing quickly enough.

Read the full Space to fly feature in the latest edition of ADS Advance.