NUAIR

What NUAIR does

NUAIR (Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research Alliance, Inc.) is a Syracuse, New York-based nonprofit founded in 2014 that operates the only FAA-accepted multi-sensor surveillance network for uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS), spanning 1,900 square miles in Central New York. The organization manages New York's 50-Mile UAS Drone Corridor and delivers Airspace Awareness-as-a-Service (AAaaS), providing real-time detection and classification of aircraft from ground level to 10,000 ft AGL across cooperative and non-cooperative categories. NUAIR's core technology stack integrates EO/IR, radar, and other sensors into a Common Operating Airspace Picture, validated by the FAA in July 2025 and demonstrated for military use when the 174th Attack Wing of the New York Air National Guard flew an MQ-9 Reaper on NUAIR's civilian infrastructure in December 2025.

NUAIR's product portfolio centers on four pillars: Airspace Awareness-as-a-Service (FAA-accepted surveillance for BVLOS operations); UAS Validation & Verification (testing and certification services with access to 1,900 sq mi of BVLOS-authorized airspace); Advanced Air Mobility services (regulatory consulting, vertiport planning, and a Center of Excellence for AAM via a Syracuse Regional Airport Authority partnership); and NY State Agencies Support (program development, training, and infrastructure inspection for law enforcement, fire, and emergency services). Adjacent offerings include Network Integration & Operational Enablement, UAS Program Development, Digital Twin Environment Learning, and Workforce Development & Training.

The business model combines nonprofit revenue streams: substantial state and government grants (a $7.5M New York State grant in 2024 alone), recurring Alliance membership fees from a curated ecosystem of defense, AAM, and technology partners (AURA Network Systems, ResilienX, UFA, Genius NY, BQP), professional services for FAA waiver acquisition and regulatory consulting, and Surveillance-as-a-Service subscriptions. NUAIR serves New York State agencies, county and municipal governments (e.g., Oswego County Drone & Robotics Program), defense and military organizations, UAS manufacturers and operators, and AAM/eVTOL companies. The organization is led by President & CEO Craig Marcinkowski (appointed March 2026) and operates with sustained backing from Empire State Development and the State of New York.

Name

NUAIR

Legal name

Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research Alliance, Inc.

Website

https://nuair.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

NUAIR is a Syracuse-based nonprofit operating the only FAA-accepted multi-sensor surveillance network covering 1,900 square miles in Central New York, providing Airspace Awareness-as-a-Service, UAS testing, and AAM consulting to government, defense, and commercial drone operators.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Unmanned Aircraft Systems Services

NAICS

Other Support Activities for Air Transportation (488190)

SIC

Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812)

akta.pro primary industry

UAS Integration, Certification & Compliance Systems (Remote ID, Detect-and-Avoid) (IMABAIAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Autonomy Software, AI & Mission Management (UAS/UXV) (IMABAIAH), Counter-UAS (C-UAS) Systems & Drone Defense (IMABAIAG), Autonomous Flight Control & Guidance Systems (UAS/Urban Air Mobility) (IMABAFAO), Helicopter Air Taxi & Urban Air Mobility (eVTOL/VTOL) Passenger Services (THABAGAC)

Keywords

• Unmanned aircraft systems
• Advanced air mobility
• Airspace awareness services
• Drone corridor operations
• UAS validation testing

Headquarters

HQ city

Syracuse

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Grants: NUAIR receives substantial government funding, including $7.5 million in state grant funding in 2024 from New York State, supporting technology development and public safety UAS initiatives.
2. Surveillance-as-a-Service: FAA-accepted surveillance capabilities provided as a service to other organizations, enabling scalable BVLOS drone operations. ResilienX and other partners utilize this infrastructure under service agreements.
3. Alliance Membership: NUAIR operates an alliance program where partners pay membership fees for visibility, influence, resources, and exclusive networking opportunities in the UAS and AAM ecosystem.
4. Professional Services: Consulting services for regulatory approvals, concept-to-deployment planning, FAA certifications, waiver acquisition, economic analysis, and vertiport planning for partners and clients.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

NUAIR operates an FAA-accepted multi-sensor surveillance network covering 1,900 square miles in Central New York, providing Airspace Awareness-as-a-Service (AAaaS) that enables BVLOS drone operations. The nonprofit delivers UAS testing and validation, advanced air mobility (AAM) consulting, regulatory support, counter-UAS capabilities, training, and program development for government agencies, defense organizations, AAM companies, and UAS manufacturers through a 50-mile drone corridor.

Product overview

NUAIR offers a unified platform combining FAA-accepted surveillance infrastructure with operational support services, centered on its flagship Airspace Awareness-as-a-Service (AAaaS) platform. The platform integrates command-and-control communications infrastructure through partnerships to enable BVLOS drone operations across a 50-mile UAS corridor in New York. The product portfolio includes core surveillance and airspace awareness services (AAaaS), UAS Validation & Verification testing services, NY State Agencies support, Advanced Air Mobility consulting through a Center of Excellence, and specialized capabilities including network integration with UTM systems, UAS program development, workforce development and training, and digital twin environment learning. The offering is designed to serve defense, public safety, and commercial aviation integration use cases.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NUAIR Defense: A division of NUAIR focused on defense applications of UAS technology and counter-UAS solutions.

Products and services

• Airspace Awareness-as-a-Service (AAaaS)
• UAS Validation & Verification
• NY State Agencies Support
• Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Services
• Network Integration & Operational Enablement
• UAS Program Development
• Digital Twin Environment Learning
• Workforce Development & Training
• New York 50-Mile UAS Corridor A designated 50-mile unmanned aircraft systems corridor in New York providing dedicated airspace for BVLOS operations, equipped with command-and-control communication infrastructure for beyond visual line of sight drone flights.

Quantifiable outcome

• Cost savings of over $1 million for Oswego County through drone technology deployment
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability5 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• BQP (BosonQ Psi)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 June 2026Craig Marcinkowski, NUAIR President and CEO, was appointed to BQP's Board of Directors. BQP is a quantum simulation company building digital twin platforms for mission-critical applications, working with U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, NVIDIA, IBM, Intel, and MathWorks.
• ResilienXcoreTechnology or Integration · 24 March 2026ResilienX served as a supporting technology partner contributing monitoring system performance and safety assurance capabilities for NUAIR's FAA-accepted surveillance infrastructure. This partnership enabled ResilienX to receive FAA Certificate of Waiver for routine BVLOS drone operations using NUAIR's network covering 1,900 square miles.
• Syracuse Regional Airport AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Collaboration on eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP) and Center of Excellence for AAM in Syracuse. Partnership supports Port Authority of New York and New Jersey's landmark eVTOL integration efforts.
• AURA Network SystemscoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2021NUAIR and AURA Network Systems collaborated to install command-and-control communication infrastructure throughout New York's 50-mile UAS corridor. AURA's wireless network provides real-time, secure voice, data, and navigation capabilities specifically designed for UAS needs, enabling beyond visual line of sight drone operations.
• Empire State DevelopmentcoreOthersNUAIR operates with support from Empire State Development and the State of New York. This relationship provides funding and strategic alignment for enabling next generation aviation in New York State through UAS and AAM innovation.
• 174th Attack Wing of the New York Air National GuardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistoric collaboration demonstrating military-civilian airspace integration where the 174th Attack Wing successfully flew MQ-9 Reaper drones using NUAIR's FAA-approved civilian surveillance network, validating airspace security capabilities.
• Genius NYminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting and scaling high-potential UAS startups. NUAIR provides deep expertise, industry standards compliance, and mentorship to enhance the UAS ecosystem in Central New York.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• DroneSense: DroneSense provides a drone operations and fleet management platform purpose-built for public safety (police, fire, EMS), directly overlapping NUAIR's public safety UAS program development and DFR enablement offerings for agencies like Oswego County.
• ResilienX: ResilienX provides monitoring and safety assurance for autonomous BVLOS operations and is a direct NUAIR partner/customer using its FAA-accepted surveillance network. It is an emerging player focused on the safety/monitoring layer that complements NUAIR's surveillance infrastructure.
• AURA Network Systems: AURA Network Systems provides command-and-control communications infrastructure for UAS/BVLOS operations and is a key NUAIR partner on the 50-mile NY corridor. It is an emerging player in the UAS communications layer that complements NUAIR's surveillance offering.

Direct peers

• Altitude Angel: Altitude Angel operates an airspace management platform (UTM) that enables safe drone operations and BVLOS at scale. It is directly comparable to NUAIR's Surveillance-as-a-Service concept, providing the digital infrastructure layer for integrating UAS into national airspace.
• Iris Automation: Iris Automation provides detect-and-avoid (DAA) technology enabling safe BVLOS drone operations. It is a direct competitor to NUAIR's surveillance infrastructure approach, solving the same BVLOS enablement problem with airborne sensors rather than ground-based surveillance networks.
• Unifly: Unifly provides UTM platforms deployed with aviation authorities (including FAA-affiliated programs) to manage drone traffic and BVLOS operations. It competes directly with NUAIR's airspace awareness and surveillance-as-a-service capabilities.
• AirMap (DroneUp): AirMap (acquired by DroneUp) historically provided UTM and airspace authorization services for drone operators and was deeply integrated with the FAA's LAANC system. It overlaps with NUAIR's airspace integration and authorization enablement services.
• ANRA Technologies: ANRA Technologies provides Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) and airspace management software for BVLOS drone operations. It directly overlaps NUAIR's airspace awareness and BVLOS enablement offerings, serving UAS operators, defense agencies, and AAM companies.
• OneSky: OneSky (formerly Analytical Graphics Inc., AGI) provides airspace management and UTM solutions for safe integration of manned and unmanned aircraft. It overlaps with NUAIR's airspace awareness and integration services, serving defense and commercial UAS operators.
• Vigilant Aerospace: Vigilant Aerospace provides airspace surveillance and detect-and-avoid systems for BVLOS drone operations, including integrations with FAA test sites. It directly competes with NUAIR's airspace awareness-as-a-service offering for UAS operators and public safety agencies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nuair
• Facebookfacebook.com/NUAIRAlliance
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nuair

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about NUAIR