Cargo drone delivery operator and advanced air mobility (AAM) infrastructure provider Skyports has obtained a Light UAS Operator Certificate (LUC) from the Irish Aviation Authority, allowing the self-authorization of beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) drone flights. The approval marks the first such certificate issued by an EU regulator.
All European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) member countries recognize the LUC, allowing UAS operators to conduct flights without first submitting a declaration or obtaining authorization from aviation authorities. Skyports is one of a handful of drone operators globally that have won the certification, which is awarded after an organization demonstrates to the regulator that it can effectively assess the risk of an operation itself.
As an LUC holder, Skyports may expand its drone delivery service within the medical, maritime, and logistics sectors across Europe.
“The Light UAS Operator Certificate creates new opportunities for Skyports in Europe—one of our key markets,” said Skyports CEO Duncan Walker. “Obtaining certification is a landmark moment for our drone delivery business that will enable us to deploy our service more efficiently and meet our customers’ needs more quickly. Receipt of an LUC is also an enormous privilege for us as a safety organization and reflects our commitment to achieving the very highest safety standards wherever we operate.”
Speaking at the issuance of the Certificate, the Aviation Regulator/CEO Designate of the Irish Aviation Authority, Diarmuid Ó Conghaile, noted the significance of the development. “We are delighted to be the first regulator in the EU to issue a beyond-visual-line-of-sight Light UAS Operator Certificate. The is an exciting development for the European drone sector, in this case providing Skyports with groundbreaking access to a European market of 500 million potential customers.”
Skyports’ projects include the UK’s first Covid-19 test drone delivery service in Scotland with the NHS as well as the operation of an interisland medical drone delivery service between the Isles of Scilly for Royal Mail.
