Skyports, a leading operator of cargo drone deliveries and advanced air mobility (AAM) infrastructure, has obtained a Light UAS Operator Certificate from the Irish Aviation Authority, permitting the self-authorization of Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone flights. This is the first such certificate issued by an EU regulator.
The LUC is recognized in all European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) member countries, allowing UAS operators to conduct flights without first submitting a declaration or obtaining authorization from aviation authorities beforehand. Skyports is one of a handful of drone operators globally that have been granted the certification to date after demonstrating to the regulator that as an organization it is capable of assessing the risk of an operation itself.
As an LUC holder, Skyports will be able to expand its proven drone delivery service within the medical, maritime, and logistics sectors across Europe, building on recent high-profile successes most notably in the U.K.