The FAA awarded DroneUp a Part 119 certificate, allowing it to operate as a Part 135 air carrier. [Courtesy: DroneUp]
Key Takeaways:
DroneUp received FAA Part 135 air carrier certification, enabling Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone operations and expanding its delivery radius from 3 to 5 miles, increasing potential household coverage by 300%.
This certification positions DroneUp as one of only six U.S. drone operators with such approval, allowing it to focus and expand its drone delivery service for Walmart, particularly in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area.
The expanded delivery zones are crucial for DroneUp to improve the unit economics of drone delivery, which currently faces high operational costs, as it plans for eventual nationwide service expansion.
They say everything’s bigger in Texas…and that includes the delivery areas for self-flying drones.
DroneUp on Tuesday announced that it received Part 119 certification from the FAA to operate its drone delivery service as a Part 135 air carrier. In other words, the longtime Walmart partner can now fly farther and reach more customers in its core market of Dallas-Fort Worth.
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Jack is a staff writer covering advanced air mobility, including everything from drones to unmanned aircraft systems to space travel—and a whole lot more. He spent close to two years reporting on drone delivery for FreightWaves, covering the biggest news and developments in the space and connecting with industry executives and experts. Jack is also a basketball aficionado, a frequent traveler and a lover of all things logistics.
