FAA Green-Lights Matternet Drone As First Everyday UAV Design
Following four years of “rigorous evaluation,” the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has finally approved Matternet’s M2 delivery drone, making it the first non-military unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to receive the certification.
According to the firm, being awarded Type Certification means its drone has “strong competitive advantage,” having the safety and reliability of its unmanned aircraft greenlighted by the authorities.
During the evaluation process, officials looked over stringent requirements on the aircraft’s design, its documentation, and how it fared in tests across a wide range of conditions and over thousands of flights.
By proving the drone airworthy and suitable for commercial delivery, the firm will now be able implement new networks and receive approvals for other regulatory processes more easily.
“We are incredibly proud that Matternet M2 has met the very rigorous safety standards of the FAA and is the first drone delivery system to be Type Certified in the United States,” said Andreas Raptopoulos, founder of Matternet.
“Drone delivery will revolutionize healthcare and e-commerce in the US. We’ve been at the forefront of this revolution since launching US operations in 2019—we are now ready for scale,” he added.
