Alphabet Inc’s Wing Aviation unit recently became the first drone-delivery company to receive a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) air-carrier certification.
The company plans to begin commercial package delivery in Blacksburg, Va., later this year and certification allows the company to make flights above people and beyond visible lines of site.
Drones only can operate during the day, and one pilot can operate up to five drones at once. The drones are forbidden to hover above people or carry hazardous materials. Certification expires after two years.
“This is an important step forward for the safe testing and integration of drones into our economy,” U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao said. “Safety continues to be our Number One priority as this technology continues to develop and realize its full potential.”
To gain certification, Wing Aviation had to conduct thousands of safe flights and provide extensive data and documentation. The FAA reviewed these to determine if the company met the agency’s rigorous safety requirements.
The company currently operates a drone-delivery service in Canberra, Australia, and will begin testing in Finland.
Virginia Tech and the Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership partnered with Wing Aviation to participate in the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration Pilot Program.