DOT CERTIFIES UPS FLIGHT FORWARD AS AN AIR CARRIER
November 18, 2019
On October 1, 2019, DOT Secretary Elaine Chao announced that U.S. regulators made their first-ever award of Part 135 air carrier certification to UPS Flight Forward, Inc., a division of United Parcel Service, Inc. (UPS), for an unmanned aerial system (UAS or drone) delivery airline. UPS Flight Forward had previously participated in DOT’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration Pilot Program as part of technical research on integration of UAS into the U.S. airspace system. As part of the Pilot Program, UPS Flight Forward practiced time-sensitive medical supply deliveries at a hospital campus in Raleigh, North Carolina.
UPS says it plans to scale up operations to eventually transport items for customers in many industries using a centralized operations control center, new custom-built cargo drones, and ground-based navigation and collision-avoidance technologies. Its new certification allows operation of an unlimited number of drones and collection of revenue for deliveries. Additionally, UPS may fly UAS whose combined aircraft and cargo weight exceeds 55 pounds and it may conduct nighttime and beyond-visual-line-of-sight operations.
If you have any questions, please contact Evelyn Sahr (esahr@eckertseamans.com or 202-659-6622); Drew Derco (dderco@eckertseamans.com or 202-659-6665), or Alexander Matthews (amatthews@eckertseamans.com or 202-659-6633).
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