Ameriflight is greenlighted for Matternet drone operations. [Credit: Jim Allen/ FreightWaves]
Key Takeaways:
Ameriflight has received FAA approval to operate drones, becoming the first existing Part 135 cargo airline to gain such an exemption for unmanned aircraft system (UAS) operations.
The company will integrate the Matternet M2 drone into its fleet, launching what it calls the first fully operational, large-scale drone delivery service in the U.S.
Ameriflight plans to use the drones, in partnership with Matternet, for commercial delivery of medical samples, small pharmaceuticals, and e-commerce items in dense urban and suburban environments.
This new drone division will supplement Ameriflight's current crewed operations, expanding service offerings for time-sensitive small package needs without replacing existing flights or pilots.
Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared on FreightWaves.com.
Cargo airline Ameriflight said Tuesday it received approval from the FAA to operate drones, making it the first existing Part 135 cargo airline—carriers that operate under nonscheduled air service—to receive such an exemption.
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Formerly the Executive Editor at DC Velocity, Mark Solomon joined FreightWaves as Managing Editor of Freight Markets. Solomon began his journalistic career in 1982 at Traffic World magazine, ran his own public relations firm (Media Based Solutions) from 1994 to 2008, and has been at DC Velocity since then. Over the course of his career, Solomon has covered nearly the whole gamut of the transportation and logistics industry, including trucking, railroads, maritime, 3PLs, and regulatory issues. Solomon witnessed and narrated the rise of Amazon and XPO Logistics and the shift of the U.S. Postal Service from a mail-focused service to parcel, as well as the exponential, e-commerce-driven growth of warehouse square footage and omnichannel fulfillment.
