Zipline earns FAA BVLOS nod crucial to drone delivery expansion

Leading global instant logistics company Zipline has passed another major milestone in its operational evolution – and in the future scaling of the entire drone delivery sector – by obtaining authorization from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to operate beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) flights.

The FAA decision announced late Monday allows Zipline “to deliver commercial packages” under its previously granted Part 135 airline operator certification, adding the additional exemption of “using drones that fly beyond the operator’s visual line of sight.” The South San Francisco-based startup had been eagerly awaiting the administrator’s ruling in the wake of earlier BVLOS exemptions granted to Avionix, Airobotics, and UPS Flight Forward earlier this month.

The FAA exemption to operate BVLOS flights stipulated its application to geographical areas “around Salt Lake City and Bentonville, Arkansas.” Zipline operates…