Category Archives: Regulatory Matters

Regulators Approve Brazil’s First BVLOS Drone Delivery Operation

Speedbird Aero team with ANAC officials after successful live parachute deployment

Latin American drone delivery company, Speedbird Aero, announced it has received regulatory approval from Brazil’s National Civil Aviation Agency, also known as ANAC, to operate two experimental drone delivery routes in Brazil. Speedbird Aero operates a proprietary delivery drone with an integrated ParaZero parachute recovery system, and is now the first company in Latin America to win regulatory approval for a drone delivery operation. Continue reading →

FAA Issues Part 135 Air Carrier Certificate to Amazon Prime Air

The Federal Aviation Administration approved an exemption allowing Amazon’s Prime Air to move forward with operations while working towards formal certification of the MK27 UA aircraft and the airline operations. The approval comes with significant limits, but allows the company to continue development of the platform and supports progress towards the necessary certifications. Continue reading →

K-State Polytechnic Granted Nationwide BVLOS Waiver

 Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus Applied Aviation Research Center has received a new waiver from the Federal Aviation Administration that permits K-State Polytechnic to fly unmanned aircraft beyond visual line of sight, or BVLOS, in all Class G airspace nationwide.

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Nearly 70% of Indian Airspace Now Open for Compliant Drones

Nearly 70% of India’s airspace has been greenlit for compliant drones to fly in, as of August 15, said Amber Dubey, Joint Secretary at the Civil Aviation Ministry, and head of the drones division. Drones compliant with the “no permission, no takeoff” (NPNT) protocol will be able to fly in airspaces demarcated as green (free airspace) and yellow zones (controlled airspace). Continue reading →

EASA Publishes Proposed Standards for Certification of Light Drones

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency has published a proposal of airworthiness standards for the certification of the vast majority of light unmanned aircraft. These standards will greatly contribute to the safe operation of drones for a wide variety of services, such as parcel delivery in urban environments, railways and power lines inspection or delivery of essential supplies into crisis zones. Continue reading →