Merlin Labs Nabs Part 135 Air Operator Certification in New Zealand

The Boston-based company says the approval puts it on a viable path to certification and commercial operations for Merlin Pilot, its flagship autonomous flight system.

Jack Daleo

Wednesday, February 21, 2024 at 11:08 AM ET

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Merlin flew an experimental aircraft equipped with its takeoff-to-touchdown autonomy system during FAA-contracted trials in July. [Courtesy: Merlin Labs]

Key Takeaways:

Merlin Labs has secured Part 135 certification from New Zealand's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) for future automated air freight operations, leveraging the country as a testbed for its Merlin Pilot system.
This certification allows Merlin to conduct critical data collection flights, essential for further product development and supporting future regulatory approvals from both the CAA and the FAA.
The move underscores a growing trend of federal agencies, including the FAA and U.S. Air Force, increasingly accepting and pursuing fully or partially automated flight technologies from Merlin and other providers.

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Federal agencies are beginning to warm up to the idea of fully or partially automated flight.

Boston-based Merlin Labs—the maker of a platform-agnostic, takeoff-to-touchdown autonomy system for fixed-wing aircraft—on Wednesday announced it obtained Part 135 certification from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) of New Zealand for future air freight operations in the country. The regulator’s Part 135 covers air operations for helicopters and small airplanes.