UPS Flight Forward
UPS subsidiary that earned first FAA Part 135 Standard certification.
UPS Flight Forward Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of United Parcel Service, concentrates on drone-based parcel delivery. The company officially began operations in July 2019. On October 1, 2019, it became the first business to obtain the Federal Aviation Administration’s full Part 135 Standard certification. This certification permits an unlimited, remotely controlled drone delivery network across the United States, with no restrictions on the number of drones or hubs, and allows flights at night.
The company’s roots trace to March 2019, when UPS partnered with the drone startup Matternet to transport medical samples via unmanned drones at WakeMed’s hospital in Raleigh, North Carolina. With approvals from the FAA and the North Carolina Department of Transportation, the plan involved daily routine flights carrying items like blood samples. Medical professionals would load the drones at the origin facility, and the drones would follow a predetermined route to a fixed landing pad at WakeMed’s main hospital and central pathology lab.
In July 2019, UPS announced the creation of UPS Flight Forward Inc. as a dedicated subsidiary for drone parcel delivery. Its first major step was applying for FAA certification, which it achieved on October 1, 2019, marking the first issuance of a full Part 135 Standard certification.
- Subsidiary of
- United Parcel Service (UPS)
- Launch date
- July 2019
- Faa certification date
- October 1, 2019
- Certification type
- FAA Part 135 Standard certification
- First company to receive
- True
- Operations allowed
- unlimited number of drones, unlimited hubs, night flights
Lore & Background
In March 2019, UPS partnered with drone startup Matternet to start delivering medical samples via unmanned drones at WakeMed's hospital in Raleigh, N.C. With approval from the FAA and the North Carolina Department of Transportation, UPS and Matternet planned daily routine flights transporting medical samples such as blood samples. The drones were loaded by medical professionals at the origin facility and flew along a predetermined route to a fixed landing pad at WakeMed's main hospital and central pathology lab.
In July 2019, UPS announced the formation of a wholly owned subsidiary called UPS Flight Forward Inc., focused on parcel delivery by drones. As its first order of business, it applied for FAA certification. On October 1, 2019, UPS announced that UPS Flight Forward Inc. became the first company to receive the FAA's full Part 135 Standard certification. This certification permits operation of a remotely controlled drone airline, unlimited in the number of drones and hubs, and able to fly at night.
Reader's Guide
UPS Flight Forward's significance lies in its pioneering regulatory achievement. On October 1, 2019, it became the first company to receive the Federal Aviation Administration's full Part 135 Standard certification, a milestone that allowed it to operate an unlimited remote-controlled drone delivery network in the United States. This certification permitted an unlimited number of drones and hubs, as well as night flights, setting a precedent for commercial drone operations. The subsidiary was formally launched in July 2019, building on a partnership with Matternet that began in March 2019 for medical sample deliveries at WakeMed's hospital in Raleigh, N.C. That earlier operation, conducted with FAA and North Carolina Department of Transportation approval, involved daily routine flights of medical specimens along predetermined routes. UPS Flight Forward's certification thus represented a regulatory first, enabling broader drone delivery services beyond the initial medical pilot program.
Did You Know?
- UPS Flight Forward was formally launched in July 2019.
- Before its formation, UPS partnered with Matternet in March 2019 to deliver medical samples at WakeMed's hospital in Raleigh, N.C.
More in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Part 2 1-24
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