France Completes First Day-and-Night BVLOS Drone Trial on Motorway
Delair, Egis, and Alicorne successfully completed France's first beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone trial on a motorway on June 9, 2025. Using a Delair DT46 VTOL drone on the A88 motorway, the partners conducted two two-hour flights — one by day, one by night — each covering 120 km under live traffic conditions, with data streamed in real time to the A88 control center.
Highlights
- On 9 June 2025, Delair, Egis, and Alicorne completed France's first BVLOS drone trial over a motorway, operating along the A88 in Normandy.
- The Delair DT46 VTOL drone flew two separate two-hour missions — one by day and one by night — each covering 120 kilometres under live traffic conditions.
- Real-time flight data was transmitted directly to the A88 motorway control center in Fontenai-sur-Orne for live monitoring and hazard assessment.
- The trial validates long-range BVLOS drone operations in complex nighttime environments, paving the way for routine motorway inspection, incident detection, and traffic management in France.
France Completes First Day-and-Night BVLOS Drone Trial on Motorway
Drone manufacturer Delair, infrastructure group Egis, and specialist operator Alicorne have jointly completed a landmark beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone trial in France — the country's first such operation conducted over a motorway in both daytime and nighttime conditions.
Trial Overview
The trial took place on 9 June 2025, testing the feasibility of using a long-range drone to perform surveillance and hazard-detection missions along the A88 motorway in Normandy. The A88 spans a total of 45 kilometres, and the trial covered a section of that corridor under real-world traffic conditions.
Flight Mission Details
The partners carried out two experimental flights of two hours each — one during the day and one at night — simulating actual operational scenarios with live traffic on the road below. The aircraft used was the Delair DT46 VTOL drone, which covered 120 kilometres per mission.
All flight data was transmitted in real time to the A88 motorway control center in Fontenai-sur-Orne, enabling live monitoring and risk assessment by road operators.
Significance and Outlook
This trial marks an important milestone for the application of drones in road infrastructure management in France, validating the technical feasibility of long-range BVLOS missions in complex nighttime environments. The technology is expected to be deployed operationally for routine motorway inspection, incident detection, and traffic management — significantly enhancing road safety monitoring capabilities.
Image credit: Egis
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