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

Verified

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 obtained Part 135 certification from New Zealand's CAA, enabling future automated air freight operations and critical data collection for global product development and certification of its autonomous flight system.
This certification underscores a growing acceptance of autonomous flight, with federal agencies like the U.S. Air Force and FAA increasingly approving and pursuing these technologies.
Merlin Labs has also demonstrated its capabilities through successful FAA-contracted autonomous cargo trials in Alaska and is partnering with the U.S. Air Force for autonomous flight demonstrations on military aircraft.

See a mistake? Contact us.

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.