Ameriflight is greenlighted for Matternet drone operations. [Credit: Jim Allen/ FreightWaves]
Key Takeaways:
Ameriflight, a Part 135 cargo airline, received FAA approval to operate drones, becoming the first existing carrier of its type to get such an exemption.
This approval enables Ameriflight to launch the first fully operational, large-scale drone delivery service in the U.S. using Matternet M2 drones.
The drone operations will focus on commercial deliveries, initially targeting healthcare (medical samples, pharmaceuticals) and e-commerce in dense urban and suburban areas.
The drone fleet will supplement Ameriflight's existing crewed operations, expanding its capabilities for time-sensitive, small package delivery.
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.
