Airspace Link and DroneShield Lead Multi-Agency Airspace Coordination Across Public Safety, Counter-UAS, Commercial, and Event Operations — Establishing Kansas City as a National Model for Urban Drone Infrastructure

KANSAS CITY, Mo., May 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Kansas City Police Department (KCPD), in partnership with Airspace Link and regional public safety stakeholders, today announced the deployment of an integrated drone operations and counter-UAS platform designed to protect FIFA World Cup 2026 venues, fan zones, and public spaces across the metro area. Funded through the federal Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) Grant Program administered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and FEMA, the initiative positions Kansas City among the first U.S. cities deploying coordinated airspace infrastructure to support both public safety and the rapidly expanding drone operations ecosystem.

Kansas City's deployment represents one of the most comprehensive integrated urban drone operations environments established by a U.S. host city ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026. The system is anchored by Airspace Link's AirHub^® Portal as the shared operational airspace coordination layer and DroneShield's counter-UAS detection and threat response platform, creating a unified framework for drone awareness, coordination, identification, and security across the region.

The deployment supports multi-agency and multi-jurisdictional coordination between KCPD, Kansas City Missouri Police and Fire Departments, Shawnee PD, Overland Park PD, Prairie Village PD, Kansas City Kansas PD, Lawrence PD, Kansas Highway Patrol, Johnson County Sheriff's Office, Sporting Kansas City, and additional regional stakeholders supporting FIFA operations and public safety response.

AirHub^® provides the operational command environment for authorized drone activity across the metro area, integrating live FAA airspace data, Remote ID telemetry, UTM coordination workflows, approved flight operations, emergency response activities, and Identification Friend or Foe (IFF)-style operational awareness capabilities into a common operating picture accessible by participating agencies. The platform is designed to support coordinated drone operations between law enforcement, fire response, critical infrastructure operators, commercial drone services, media organizations, and authorized event operators throughout the World Cup environment.

The deployment also includes integration pathways with public safety drone manufacturers and Drone as a First Responder (DFR) workflows, supporting real-time operational coordination between airborne assets and responding agencies. Counter-UAS integrations include DroneShield as the primary detection and threat response layer, along with Cyber-over-RF mitigation technology and additional counter-UAS capabilities deployed within select supporting communities and operational zones throughout the broader regional security environment.

The system is designed not only for temporary event security, but for long-term management of increasingly complex low-altitude airspace operations already emerging across the Kansas City region. Amazon Prime Air's recent launch of commercial drone delivery operations in the area — one of only seven U.S. markets where Prime Air is currently operational — combined with anticipated FAA Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) regulatory expansion, is accelerating the need for coordinated urban UTM infrastructure capable of safely managing simultaneous public safety, commercial delivery, logistics, infrastructure, and media drone operations at scale. Kansas City's investment positions it as a model for how cities across the country can build drone-ready infrastructure that serves both the demands of major events and the permanent drone economy taking shape in American cities right now.

"Protecting a World Cup requires a level of airspace coordination that most cities have never had to think about before," said Major Greg Williams of the Kansas City Police Department. "We've thought about it — deeply — and what we've built here is a system that works for FIFA and keeps working long after the final match. Kansas City is committed to being a city where drones operate safely, and where public safety has the tools to respond."

"What Kansas City is building is larger than a World Cup security deployment. This is foundational infrastructure for the future of coordinated urban drone operation," said Michael Healander, Co-Founder, President and CEO of Airspace Link. "The same systems helping protect fans and critical public spaces during FIFA will support public safety response, commercial drone delivery, media operations, and regional airspace coordination long after the tournament ends. AirHub^® is designed to connect all stakeholders operating in low-altitude airspace into a shared operational environment that improves safety, coordination, and situational awareness across jurisdictions," Healander said.

"Securing major events requires a level of airspace awareness and coordination that did not exist a decade ago," said Tom Adams, Director of Public Safety at DroneShield. "Kansas City is helping establish a practical model for how cities can approach layered drone detection, operational coordination, and long-term airspace resilience in increasingly complex urban environments." 

About Airspace Link

Airspace Link is a Detroit-based FAA-approved UTM provider and the company behind AirHub^®, the industry's leading Drone Operations Management System (DOMS). AirHub provides organizations with a single, integrated platform for airspace security, UAS operational safety, and full operations lifecycle management. As an FAA-approved B4UFLY, LAANC and UTM provider, and Esri technology partner, Airspace Link delivers safety and structure to the rapidly expanding drone ecosystem. The company holds SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 certifications. Learn more at airspacelink.com.

About DroneShield

DroneShield specializes in counter-UAS technology, leveraging RF sensing, AI, sensor fusion, and electronic warfare. Our solutions protect military, government, law enforcement, and critical infrastructure globally, offering both custom and off-the- shelf products for land, sea, and air platforms. To learn more, visit DroneShield.com.

Media Contacts
Airspace Link: Rich Fahle, rich.fahle@airspacelink.com
DroneShield: Edith Miranda, edith.miranda@droneshield.us
Kansas City Police Department: Capt. Jacob Becchina, Public Information Officer, Jacob.Becchina@kcpd.org

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SOURCE Airspace Link