Fly at Your Own Peril: The “Zombie” App Leading UK Pilots into a National Security Trap

Thousands of UAV operators rely on Altitude Angel’s Drone Assist for safety data. But following the company’s collapse and the introduction of strict new Ministry of Defence zones this week, the app’s outdated maps have become a legal minefield.

For the better part of a decade, Drone Assist has been the digital bible for Britain’s drone pilots. Whether for a commercial surveyor mapping a construction site or a hobbyist capturing a sunset, the app—developed by Reading-based Altitude Angel—was the gold standard for checking where it was safe and legal to fly.

But following Altitude Angel’s entry into administration in late 2025 and the subsequent sale of its assets to the Spanish Indra Group in January, the UK’s drone community faces a quiet crisis. The app, still available on stores and sitting on thousands of devices, has effectively become “abandonware”—a zombie platform that looks functional but is failing to display critical new airspace restrictions.

The danger of this data vacuum became acute on 19 February 2026. Under the National Security Act, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) activated new “Prohibited Places” regulations, criminalising unauthorised drone flights over designated defence sites.

The ‘Dodgy Deal’ and the Data Void

Altitude Angel was once considered the “digital backbone” of UK drone integration, partnering with NATS and powering the government’s ambitions for a drone superhighway. However, after the company entered administration in October 2025, its assets were acquired by Indra Group in early 2026.

Industry observers have raised alarms about the nature of the transition. According to community reports, while Indra acquired the intellectual property and the GuardianUTM platform, the engineering teams responsible for maintaining the live consumer data did not transfer over.

The result is a dangerous disconnect. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has previously warned that Drone Assist is no longer manually validated, making its airspace data potentially unreliable. Yet, for the casual user, there are no flashing warning lights—just a map that no longer reflects the legal reality of the sky above them.

A Strict Liability

The stakes for pilots are higher than a simple navigational error. The new restrictions introduced under Statutory Instrument SI 2026-64 make it a criminal offence to “access, enter, inspect… or approach” these prohibited MoD zones with an unmanned system.

Unlike previous civil trespass rules, the National Security Act 2023 grants powers to designate sites that may not even be clearly marked on the ground. Reliance on a third-party app that has failed to pull the latest NOTAMs (Notices to Air Missions) is unlikely to stand as a robust defence in court.

Pilots are now being urged to revert to official sources, such as the NATS eAIS package or alternative maps provided by associations like FPV UK, which have successfully updated their systems to reflect the February 19 restrictions.

The Ecosystem at Risk

The issue extends far beyond a single app. Over the last decade, Altitude Angel successfully embedded its API (Application Programming Interface) into a vast ecosystem of third-party software. This “GuardianUTM” ecosystem powered insurance apps, flight planning tools, and even national air traffic control apps in other countries.

If the core data stream from Altitude Angel is stagnant, every app relying on that connection is potentially serving dangerous data to its users.

Based on an analysis of the company’s integrations, the following applications utilise Altitude Angel’s data and may currently be at risk of displaying outdated airspace information:

First-Party Applications (Directly Affected):

• Drone Assist: The primary flight planning app for the UK. Reports confirm it is missing the new Feb 19 MoD restriction zones.
• GuardianUTM Enterprise: The approval interface used by approximately 64 airports and airfields (including Cranfield and London Biggin Hill) to manage drone flight requests.

Third-Party & Commercial Integrations:

• Coverdrone: The “Insure, Plan, Fly” app used by commercial operators for insurance validation. Reports suggest it relies on the same failing data feed.
• Drone Companion: Specifically named by industry sources as lacking the new restriction data.
• AirHub: A drone operations management platform that integrates GuardianUTM for airspace advisories.
• Dronedesk: A flight planning platform for enterprise fleets that pulls hazard data from the GuardianUTM cloud.
• Drone Safe Register: The UK directory for professional pilots, which integrated Altitude Angel maps for member operational planning.
• GoDrone (Netherlands): The official app for Dutch air traffic control (LVNL), built on Altitude Angel’s tech stack.

The Future of UK Airspace

Indra Group has stated its intention to “strengthen its position” in the UK and “monetise” UAS flights via the acquired technology. However, the current gap in safety data suggests a difficult transition.

Until a new, reliable standard is established, UK pilots are flying into a regulatory headwind. Don’t be caught out. Find an independent app… or go to official sources. In the eyes of the law, ignorance caused by a zombie app is no excuse.

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