Dronamics becomes first cargo drone operator to obtain EU operational license

Cargo drone developer and operator Dronamics obtained the European Union’s Light Unmanned Aircraft Systems Operator Certificate (LUC) for its Black Swan drones, allowing the company to fly in all EU member states and perform Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations. Dronamics is the first cargo drone developer to receive the license from the Transport Malta Civil Aviation Directorate (TM-CAD), Malta’s Civil Aviation Authority, according to today’s release. The LUC allows Dronamics to self-authorize flight operations of its Black Swan aircraft across all EU countries. [caption id="attachment_95245" align="alignright" width="428"] Dronamics' Black Swan unmanned cargo drone prototype. Photo courtesy of Dronamics.[/caption] Regulatory landscapes have been a significant challenge for drone stakeholders, as regulatory processes make drone operations contingent upon where licenses can be obtained. While drone shipments are meant to connect communities , this can be challenging when cross-border locations have different regulatory standards. The company plans to run its first commercial flights from Malta and Italy later this year, and also intends to operate routes across the Mediterranean. This includes Spain, France, Greece, Croatia and Portugal, a Dronamics spokesperson told Air Cargo World . They further noted that operations will be from droneport to droneport. While a majority of droneports are primarily hosted at airports, there will eventually be alternative locations such as warehouses. Dronamics established Malta as its first operational base in Europe in October 2021 , and the company expanded its network earlier this year to include Manheim City Airport (MHG) in Germany and Hans Christian Anderson Airport (ODE) in Denmark. Dronamics also secured an agreement with DHL Express and Hellmann Worldwide Logistics to operate middle-mile drone deliveries. The Black Swan drone, Dronamic’s flagship fixed-wing aircraft, is equipped to carry 350 kg up to 2,500 kilometers for same-day shipping over long distances, according to the release. The drone was officially unveiled at Sofia International Airport (SOF) in Bulgaria in December 2021. Valqari, dnata and Edmonton International Airport will discuss drones and autonomous flight in air cargo logistics on Tuesday, June 7 at the Air Cargo Tech Summit, the new airfreight logistics event presented by Air Cargo World . Learn more and register here.

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