Ameriflight is greenlighted for Matternet drone operations. [Credit: Jim Allen/ FreightWaves]
Key Takeaways:
Ameriflight has received FAA approval to operate drones under its existing Part 135 air carrier certificate, becoming the first such cargo airline to gain this exemption.
The company will deploy Matternet M2 drones for commercial delivery, initially focusing on time-sensitive healthcare items (medical samples, pharmaceuticals) and e-commerce packages in urban and suburban areas.
This approval allows for the launch of the first fully operational, large-scale drone delivery system in the U.S., intended to supplement Ameriflight's current crewed operations and expand its service offerings.
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.
