California-based robotics company Zipline was in talks with Novant Health about a potential partnership for drone delivery services prior to the coronavirus pandemic. So, when the outbreak happened, the two companies were already in a position to work together. Zipline’s drone technology will be used to ferry PPE in North Carolina between Novant’s emergency drone fulfillment centre in Kannapolis and its Huntersville medical center.
The route is 32 miles total, making this the first long-range UAV delivery service to be approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Current federal regulations on unmanned aircraft prohibit a flight of this duration, however, the program was approved through a waiver with the FAA due to the emergency situation caused by COVID-19. Therefore, the waiver remains in effect “until Oct. 31, 2020, or until all COVID-related restrictions on travel, business and mass gatherings for North Carolina are lifted, whichever occurs first.”
