Following a successful pilot program in North Carolina, UPS has received the FAA’s Part 135 Standard certification for using drones to deliver packages. According to the company, it is the first to receive this certification. It is now allowed to fly an unlimited number of drones at night and beyond the pilot’s visual line of sight. It can also load more than 55 pounds of cargo on each device.
UPS will start out by using the certification to expand on the pilot project, which saw it using drones to deliver medical supplies at a hospital campus in Raleigh, N.C. The company plans to eventually expand these operations to other hospitals and other industries.
“Our technology is opening doors for UPS and solving problems in unique ways for our customers. We will soon announce other steps to build out our infrastructure, expand services for healthcare customers and put drones to new uses in the future,”
said UPS CEO David Abney.
Kate is a senior copy editor in Northern California. She holds a bachelor's degree in English with a minor in professional writing from the University of California, Davis.
