Zipline Drone Delivery Secures Latest BVLOS Approval in Wave of FAA Exemptions

The agency also approved UPS Flight Forward, uAvionix, and Phoenix Air Unmanned for extended operations.

Jack Daleo

Tuesday, September 19, 2023 at 05:36 PM ET

Verified

A Zipline P1 Zip releases a package to the ground via parachute. [Courtesy: Zipline]

Key Takeaways:

Zipline, a prominent drone delivery company, has received FAA authorization to conduct commercial package deliveries Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) without human visual observers.
This crucial approval significantly enhances the scalability and affordability of Zipline's U.S. operations, enabling wider service areas and more efficient drone delivery.
The FAA's decision was based on the proven safety of Zipline's Sparrow drones, which utilize advanced onboard detect-and-avoid (DAA) systems.
This landmark ruling not only solidifies Zipline's industry leadership but also helps inform future FAA policy and streamline approvals for other drone delivery companies.

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Drone delivery’s top dog just added a bark to its bite.

Zipline—whose 750,000 deliveries and 50 million autonomous miles flown to date arguably make it the industry’s undisputed titan—on Tuesday received FAA authorization to remove visual observers (VOs) from its beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations. The firm, which has already taken a massive bite out of the global drone delivery market share, now adds a key operational approval that could make its service more scalable and affordable.