AtkinsRéalis appointed as UK's first approved drone assessor

AtkinsRéalis, a world-class engineering services and nuclear company with offices around the world, has been appointed by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) as its first approved assessor of commercial drones, putting the company at the forefront of safely enabling the expansion of drone services throughout the UK.

AtkinsRéalis' technical experts will assess the flightworthiness of drone designs across various sectors - including cargo, medical deliveries, surveying and media - evaluating whether commercial operators and designers comply with the CAA's new technical requirements for design, manufacturing and flying characteristics.

These assessments will form the basis for AtkinsRéalis' recommendations to the CAA, which will then issue the appropriate authorisation or certificate to successful applicants.

James Richmond, AtkinsRéalis Head of Advanced Air Mobility, said: “From expediting deliveries of live-saving medical supplies to more efficient monitoring of our critical national infrastructure, drones are set to deliver significant benefits across multiple industries. This pace of change will hinge on constructive partnerships between industry and regulators, ensuring these aircraft integrate safely into airspace while encouraging innovation.

“Our decades of aerospace certification experience, combined with our Future of Flight team's deep understanding of the evolving aviation ecosystem, uniquely positions us to support this dynamic industry through assessments that maintain public confidence while unlocking new opportunities.”

Sophie O’Sullivan, Director of Future of Flight at the UK Civil Aviation Authority said: “UK SORA is the UK’s version of a drone risk assessment process that has been developed internationally with consensus from multiple aviation authorities. It represents a significant step forward in how the UK approaches drone certification.

“As we enable the safe expansion of the UK’s commercial drone market to support economic growth, Recognised Assessment Entities like AtkinsRéalis will play an important role in providing technical expertise to ensure drone operators and designers are compliant.”

As of March 2025, the CAA reported there were more than 470,000 active registered drone users in the UK.

As a Recognised Assessment Entity for Flightworthiness [RAE(F)] for unmanned aerial systems (UAS), AtkinsRéalis will provide two critical services: assessing drone flightworthiness for commercial operators applying through the UK Specific Operations Risk Assessment (SORA) process, and evaluating manufacturers’ drone designs under Safety Assurance and Integrity Level (SAIL) Mark policies.

This appointment builds on AtkinsRéalis' extensive experience in advanced aviation projects and developing innovative solutions for the future of flight in the UK. This includes leading the Advanced Mobility Ecosystem Consortium, which is pioneering eVTOLs in the UK, and CAELUS, the UK's first drone distribution network for medical supplies throughout Scotland.

Drone operators and designers can now access AtkinsRéalis' RAE(F) services through: www.atkinsrealis.com/raef

Note to editors:

The RAE(F) role focuses solely on the technical assessment of drone flightworthiness and does not include assessment of a company's commercial and operational competencies. The CAA retains responsibility for evaluating and authorising the operational aspects of commercial drone use in the UK.

According to the CAA, operators seeking authorisation in the 'specific' category may need to engage an RAE(F) to assess the flightworthiness of their unmanned aerial systems (UAS) as part of their application process. Additionally, UAS designers should work with an RAE(F) when pursuing a SAIL Mark certification for their drone designs.

About AtkinsRéalis

Created by the integration of long-standing organizations dating back to 1911, AtkinsRéalis is a world-class engineering services and nuclear company dedicated to engineering a better future for our planet and its people. We create sustainable solutions that connect people, data and technology to transform the world's infrastructure and energy systems. We deploy global capabilities locally to our clients and deliver unique end-to-end services across the whole life cycle of an asset including consulting, advisory & environmental services, intelligent networks & cybersecurity, design & engineering, procurement, project & construction management, operations & maintenance, decommissioning and capital. The breadth and depth of our capabilities are delivered to clients in strategic sectors such as Engineering Services, Nuclear and Capital. News and information are available at www.atkinsrealis.com or follow us on LinkedIn.