Matternet has received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for its Model M2 UAV delivery drone design. In a press release, Matternet said the Model M2 drone is the first non-military drone to receive FAA-type approval, which establishes that the aircraft’s design meets regulatory standards.
Matternet has received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for its Model M2 UAV delivery drone design. In a press release, Matternet said the Model M2 drone is the first non-military drone to receive FAA model number approval, which establishes that the aircraft’s design meets regulatory standards.
Matternet had a partnership with UPS in 2019, where they delivered medical supplies together in North Carolina and later began delivering prescriptions in Florida. matternet also expanded its footprint to Switzerland – working with Swiss Post to deliver lab samples and blood tests. The program was briefly suspended in 2019 after its drones suffered two crashes in Switzerland, but Matternet has since announced it is taking over the Swiss Post’s drone delivery program starting in 2023.
The FAA said in a statement that Matternet’s M2 UAV “meets all federal regulations for safe, secure and controlled operations and provides a level of safety comparable to existing airworthiness standards applicable to other classes of aircraft. The quadcopter drone is approved to carry a four-pound payload and fly at an altitude of 400 feet or less at a maximum speed of 45mph.
Matternet’s announcement comes as other tech and retail giants are starting to ramp up their efforts to get their own drone delivery services off the ground. In May, Walmart said it would expand its drone delivery network – launched last year in partnership with DroneUp – to Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Texas, Utah and Virginia by the end of 2022. Amazon also announced plans in June to launch its stalled drone delivery program, eventually bringing drone deliveries to Rockfield, Calif. and College Station, Texas. Wing, the drone company owned by Google parent Alphabet, recently launched tests in parts of Texas and began researching drones that can carry larger payloads.
