UPS has applied to the US Federal Aviation Administration (F) for Part 135 certification to operate commercial drone flights under a subsidiary business called UPS Flight Forward Inc.
The new subsidiary is a recently incorporated business that could receive Part 135 certification as early as this year, putting UPS on track to have one of the first fully certified revenue-generating drone operations in the United States.
'This certification lays the foundation for drone flights beyond an operator's visual line of sight and for flights occurring day or night. Such flights are highly restricted in the United States and approved only by exception,' UPS said in a statement.
UPS chief transformation and strategy officer, Scott Price, said: 'UPS is committed to using technology to transform the way we do business. UPS's formation of a drone delivery company and application to begin regular operations under this level of certification is historic for UPS and for the drone and logistics industries, overall.'
In contrast to more-limited F certifications for drone flights for other companies, UPS Flight Forward would operate under the F's full Part 135 certification, which conveys a legal designation to a company as a certified Air Carrier and Operator.
Currently, UPS is operating drone healthcare deliveries under a specific use-case under F Part 107 rules. In March, UPS initiated the first F-sanctioned use of a drone for routine revenue flights involving the transport of a product under a contractual delivery agreement in the United States at WakeMed's flagship hospital and campus in the Raleigh, North Carolina.
In this programme, the company delivers medical samples via unmanned drones, supplementing a ground courier service. UPS has said it intends to expand its drone delivery service to other hospitals or campus settings.
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The new subsidiary is a recently incorporated business that could receive Part 135 certification as early as this year, putting UPS on track to have one of the first fully certified revenue-generating drone operations in the United States.
'This certification lays the foundation for drone flights beyond an operator's visual line of sight and for flights occurring day or night. Such flights are highly restricted in the United States and approved only by exception,' UPS said in a statement.
UPS chief transformation and strategy officer, Scott Price, said: 'UPS is committed to using technology to transform the way we do business. UPS's formation of a drone delivery company and application to begin regular operations under this level of certification is historic for UPS and for the drone and logistics industries, overall.'
In contrast to more-limited F certifications for drone flights for other companies, UPS Flight Forward would operate under the F's full Part 135 certification, which conveys a legal designation to a company as a certified Air Carrier and Operator.
Currently, UPS is operating drone healthcare deliveries under a specific use-case under F Part 107 rules. In March, UPS initiated the first F-sanctioned use of a drone for routine revenue flights involving the transport of a product under a contractual delivery agreement in the United States at WakeMed's flagship hospital and campus in the Raleigh, North Carolina.
In this programme, the company delivers medical samples via unmanned drones, supplementing a ground courier service. UPS has said it intends to expand its drone delivery service to other hospitals or campus settings.
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