Overview
ISO 21384-3:2023 - "Unmanned aircraft systems - Part 3: Operational procedures" specifies internationally harmonized requirements for safe commercial unmanned aircraft system (UAS) operations. Applicable to all commercial UAS regardless of size or application, this second edition updates and expands the 2019 edition to cover safety and security, operator responsibilities, airspace compliance, flight operations, maintenance, data protection and conflict management - including requirements for the external safety‑critical command and control (C2) link.
Key topics and requirements
The standard organizes operational safety into practical requirements and roles. Major technical topics include:
- Safety and security management
- Safety policy, role‑based tasks and defined responsibilities (e.g., COMO, SAFO, SECO)
- Requirements differentiated by operation type: VLOS, EVLOS, BVLOS at very low level (VLL), and operations in controlled airspace/IFR
- Command & control (C2) and external services
- Requirements for C2 link performance and oversight of C2 communication service providers (C2CSP)
- Interaction with UTM (UAS Traffic Management) services and external service governance
- Operational planning and flight operations
- Operational plans, flight preparation (pre‑flight inspections, communication planning)
- In‑flight responsibilities of the remote pilot-in-command (RPIC), handovers, multiple UA operations and autonomous operations
- Night operations, journey logs, abnormal and contingency procedures
- Airspace and regulatory compliance
- Airspace information, UA identification and registration, operations above 500 ft (150 m) and special high flight level zones
- Personnel, maintenance and configuration
- Competence, training and currency requirements; hardware and software update controls; configuration management
- Conflict management
- Separation provision, collision avoidance and operational procedures supported by charts and descriptions
- Data protection and privacy
- Operator requirements and a normative annex on privacy etiquette
Applications - who uses this standard
ISO 21384-3 is used by:
- UAS operators and commercial drone service providers to develop standard operating procedures (SOPs), safety management systems and training programs
- Manufacturers and integrators to align C2 and system design with operational requirements
- C2CSP and UTM providers to define service and performance requirements
- Regulators and auditors for conformity assessment, certification and oversight
- Insurers and risk managers assessing operational risk and compliance
Related standards
ISO 21384-3 is part of the broader ISO 21384 UAS series and is intended to be applied together with other current and future UAS standards (operational, technical and safety guidance) to form a comprehensive safety and quality framework for commercial unmanned aircraft operations.
Keywords: ISO 21384-3, unmanned aircraft systems, UAS operational procedures, C2 link, BVLOS, VLOS, UTM, C2CSP, remote pilot, UAS safety.
