A utilização de VANT em aeroportos como ferramenta da gestão de segurança operacional

Abstract

Civil aviation constantly seeks to improve its Operational Safety Management Systems (SGSO), which requires the adoption of new technologies, whether for use on aircraft or at airports. In terms of aircraft technology, the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was designed to operate without a pilot, to embark payload and sensors, which favors its application in different sectors and activities. Considering that, this research aims to verify this technology feasibility as a tool for operational security management in airports and to identify if it is already being used in these environments in Brazil. To reach these objectives, the qualitative research method was adopted, and the documental and bibliographic procedures were used. It was possible to verify the yard inspectors’ activities and observe that some of them can be carried out by UAV. It was also found that unmanned aerial vehicles are already adopted in some airports in Germany, France and the United States, in order to analyze obstructions, to inspect pavements and to carry out daily inspections to locate FOD, among other activities. As a result, it was found in these places an improvement in data collection, a reduction in operating costs, an increase in security level and a reduction in the time required to carry out these procedures compared to conventional way. It was also identified the importance of constant monitoring of some airport spaces and permanent control of their infrastructure quality, actions required by regulatory institutions of these countries to mitigate risks and prevent accidents or incidents. In Brazil, the Air Force, responsible for the navigational aids inspection, carried out tests with UAVs that proved the reduction of operational impacts generated compared to inspections carried out with manned aircraft. This technology has also been adopted as a tool for operational security management by Vitória/ES airport, increasing the security level. It is concluded, therefore, that this tool can be used as a complement to existing activities, as occurs, for example, in the fauna monitoring at Vitória airport. As it is a recent technology, it is suggested as future research the analysis UAVs’ implementation costs in national airports, drawing a comparison with conventional means, in addition to carry out a case study for Brazilian aerodromes.