ANA Aeroportos — C-UAS detection pilot
ANA (Portugal's airport operator, VINCI-owned) is piloting counter-drone detection capability at major airports. Operational procurement is expected to follow successful pilot phase, likely 2027.
Programme summary
ANA Aeroportos operates Portugal's major commercial airports under a long-term VINCI concession. Following the broader ICAO and EASA pressure to mandate counter-drone capability at major airports post-2023, ANA is piloting detection systems at Lisbon and Porto.
Pilot phase typically informs operational procurement specs. Suppliers who participate in the pilot — even informally — significantly shape requirements for the eventual procurement notice. AENA in Spain is on a parallel track with similar timelines.
Why it matters
Civil-airport C-UAS is the bridge between defence-grade and commercial procurement: shorter cycles, less restrictive export licensing, but with defence-adjacent technical requirements. AENA's parallel programme means a winning Iberian airport reference rapidly cross-sells.
Suggested matches in the directory
Sensofusion
Existing airport-deployment track record (multiple European airports) is directly relevant.
AntidroneTech
Cost-competitive alternative for budget-constrained pilots.
ANA procurement runs through VINCI Airports' centralised procurement function — bidding contacts are not at the airport-operator level but at VINCI Group airports HQ in France. AENA in Spain is independent (state-owned), procurement runs through their HQ in Madrid.