Skyways receives FAA authorization for long-range BVLOS ops over sea

Hybrid VTOL developer and operator Skyways has received FAA authorization to conduct long-range BVLOS operations over water from the U.S. coastline — the first authorization of its kind for an uncrewed aircraft. With the authorization announced today, Skyways plans to fly its V2 hybrid VTOL from a Shell Pipeline facility in Gibson, La., to a Shell offshore platform in the Gulf of Mexico. The aircraft will inspect a pipeline right-of-way during the flight and simulate delivery of equipment to the platform, combining two offshore missions. [caption id="attachment_57299840" align="aligncenter" width="876"] Skyways operates its V2 over the ocean. (Courtesy/Skyways)[/caption] "The team wants to expand offshore services to include cargo delivery to oil production platforms, but currently these efforts are blocked in the high seas for unmanned systems," Andrew Aubrey, vice president of commercial business development at Skyways, told Cargo Facts . "Skyways is in discussions with the FAA on how to unlock this additional capability to meet explicit oil and gas operator needs." The FAA certificate of waiver will remain in effect through October 2030, and Skyways aims to begin offshore pipeline inspection operations in the first quarter of 2027, Aubrey said. Skyways and Shell have begun airspace safety coordination, he said. The V2 has a range of about 450 miles and a thirty-pound maximum payload. Scaling up drone operations When applying for the FAA waiver, Skyways and Shell proposed a concept of operations accompanied by a safety assessment that laid out key risks and mitigations, Gabrielle Wain, vice president of regulatory, policy and government affairs at Skyways, told Cargo Facts . "These risk mitigations were based on our experience from international cargo delivery missions in the high seas," Wain said, referring to operations for the U.S. Navy, Japanese Ministry of Defense, DSV , Skyports Drone Services and All Nippon Airways . From application to issuance, the authorization process took three months, though Skyways and Shell were working on the application and with the FAA "long before that," she said. The FAA is working to scale up drone activity across the United States, but it needs to be done safely, acting FAA Deputy Administrator Liam McKenna said in a statement sent to Cargo Facts . The FAA's regulatory framework needs to keep pace with innovation, he said. “This first-of-its-kind authorization demonstrates how we are working with industry to move beyond traditional operating limitations and enable the next generation of commercial drone operations,” McKenna said. Skyreach launch Skyways also today launched Skyreach, a long-range autonomous hybrid VTOL cargo aircraft that aims to begin flying for defense and commercial customers in December. Skyreach has a range of more than 1,300 miles and more than eighteen hours of flight time. The aircraft has a combined fuel and payload capacity of 100 pounds, with a maximum takeoff weight of 360 pounds. [caption id="attachment_57299841" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Skyways launched its Skyreach VTOL cargo drone on Nov. 9. (Courtesy/Skyways)[/caption] Skyreach's development was supported by a $37 million grant from the U.S. Air Force’s AFWERX program, announced in June 2025. Since then, Skyways has finalized the production design, advanced flight qualification testing and started production in Austin, Texas. "Our ambition is to deploy a network of over 1,000 autonomous aircraft for defense and commercial customers within five years, unlocking a new era of aviation and possibilities that were never before practical," Skyways co-founder and Chief Executive Charles Acknin said in a statement sent to Cargo Facts . Cargo Facts LATAM 2027, the essential event for stakeholders in Latin America, will take place Feb. 10-12 at the Marquis Reforma in Mexico City. Learn more and register by Jan. 8 to take advantage of early-bird pricing.

Skyways receives FAA authorization for long-range BVLOS ops over sea

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