FAA Awards Contract for Automated Cargo Network Flight Trials in Alaska

The Merlin Pilot will be the first automated flight control system to secure NAS integration, and aims to reduce workloads amid the ongoing pilot shortage.

Jack Daleo

Wednesday, April 12, 2023 at 05:02 PM ET

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The test flights outlined under Merlin’s FAA contract will travel along three routes originating from the Fairbanks, Alaska test site. [Courtesy: Merlin]

Key Takeaways:

Merlin Labs secured a $1 million FAA contract and agency approval for its "Merlin Pilot" automated flight control system, with initial flight trials launching in Alaska in Q2 2023.
The technology aims to reduce pilot workload, combat the aviation industry's pilot shortage, and improve safety and accessibility for cargo deliveries, especially in remote and challenging regions like Alaska.
Merlin's approach is semi-autonomous, keeping a human pilot onboard, which aids regulatory approval and has already enabled single-pilot operations in trials with the U.S. Air Force.

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Less than a year removed from raising $105 million in fresh funding, Boston-based startup Merlin Labs is looking to shake up the aviation industry with renewed agency approval.

Having already secured partnerships with the U.S. Air Force, New Zealand’s Civil Aviation Authority and firms like Dynamic Aviation and Ameriflight, Merlin on Wednesday nabbed a $1 million contract from the Federal Aviation Administration to demonstrate Merlin Pilot, a highly automated flight control system designed to soften the workload of—and eventually remove—human pilots.