In a groundbreaking shift for the drone delivery industry, Flytrex and Wing — two of the largest commercial drone operators in the U.S. — have begun flying in the same airspace at the same time. It’s happening in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area, and it’s made possible by an autonomous traffic coordination system.

It might not seem like a big deal. After all, United and Alaska and American Airlines flights all share the same airspace. But manned aircraft relies on air traffic control to coordinate flight paths. Drones are only now just getting to that stage.

The coordinated flights between Flytrex and Wing are the first time in U.S. history that multiple commercial drone companies have conducted daily operations in shared airspace. They do that by using a real-time Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) system. And in automated fashion, it means neither human air traffic controllers nor manual coordination between companies.

Until now, commercial drone flights were separated geographically, each operator assigned its own territory to avoid midair conflicts. But in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area, Flytrex and Wing are serving overlapping communities simultaneously. They coordinate flights with each other using the drone world’s version of air traffic control.

A first for the U.S. — and a glimpse at the future of airspace

The coordinated flights between Flytrex and Wing marks the first operational use of the ASTM Strategic Coordination standard for UTM in the United States. Both companies are participating in the Federal Aviation Administration’s UTM Operational Evaluation, a multi-operator initiative shaping how drones will integrate into national airspace.

Rather than pre-negotiating where and when to fly, Flytrex and Wing use their own UAS Service Supplier (USS) platforms to share what’s called “4D flight intent data” — route coordinates, timing, altitude and location. These systems are what’s called ‘interoperable.’ That means the drones can detect potential conflicts and automatically adjust their flight paths in real time.

“Unmanned Traffic Management is the backbone of a scalable drone delivery ecosystem,” said Yariv Bash, CEO and co-founder of Flytrex. “It allows multiple operators to fly safely and efficiently, even in densely populated areas.”

It comes at a critical time ahead of Part 108 regulations, which are essential for enabling drone flights beyond the pilot’s line of sight.

“This is yet another milestone for the UTM Operational Evaluation, leveraging core principles of U.S. aviation and innovation,” said Margaret Nagle, Vice President and Global Head of Policy at Wing. “By leveraging global standards, we will increasingly see multiple drone services sharing the same airspace and operating at scale.”

How the operations between Flytrex and Wing work

For now, these types of flights between Flytrex and Wing are contained to the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Both companies have already had robust operations there (and yours, truly, Drone Girl, tested out Wing drone delivery in Texas). That region is quite buzzy, which is why I’ve dubbed Texas the Drone Star State.

Right now, Flytrex has stations around the region, where drones serve customers within a 3-mile radius of each station, handling 120 to 400 deliveries per day. Meanwhile, Wing drones fly lightweight packages from restaurants and retailers like Walmart directly to doorsteps. When both companies operate in the same neighborhood, their drones stay aware of each other through the UTM system — and respond in real time to reroute or avoid overlap.

They rely on some advanced software, including:

• 4D Flight Intent Sharing: Drones broadcast planned positions over time.
• Real-Time Deconfliction: Routes can adjust automatically if weather changes, airspace fills up, or other drones are nearby.
• Contingency Coordination: If one drone needs to land early or reroute, that data is instantly shared with the other system.

Why the Flytrex and Wing news is such a big deal

This isn’t just about avoiding crashes — it’s about enabling scale. If drone companies had to stick to exclusive zones, growth would be slow and inefficient. Plus, one company would likely gain continued monopolies, which is generally not great for business. But now, with this shared airspace model, multiple services can operate side-by-side, giving consumers more choices and increasing the speed and availability of aerial delivery.

And this is just the beginning. The system is designed to be operator-agnostic, meaning any drone company that adheres to the same standards — like Zipline, DroneUp, or others — can join in and fly safely alongside competitors.

“The sky is a shared resource,” said Bash. “This system allows us to use it responsibly—and at scale.”

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