CATS Global Council Think Paper: Advancing Higher Airspace Operations

An International HAPS Innovation Sandbox

The Complete Air Traffic System (CATS) is committed to enabling a globally harmonised, seamless airspace that integrates crewed, uncrewed and highly automated operations safely and efficiently. As aviation enters a period of unprecedented transformation, driven by automation, digitalisation and the introduction of new entrant aircraft, an urgent question emerges: How can we safely validate and scale cooperative Higher Airspace Operations across borders while preserving interoperability and avoiding fragmented national or regional approaches?

This Think Paper presents the International High-Altitude Platform Systems (HAPS) Innovation Sandbox, the first international Cooperative Deconfliction Exercise for Higher Airspace Operations (HAO), proposed as an initial trial to support the development of globally harmonised cooperative operating practices in higher airspace.