The subsidiary, Wing Aviation LLC, now has the same certifications that smaller airlines receive from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Transportation. It plans to begin routine deliveries of small consumer items in two rural communities in Virginia within months, the company said.
Companies receiving permission must also be majority owned by U.S. citizens under long-standing restrictions imposed by the DOT. Wing has had to deal with concerns over noise and privacy issues in previous tests. The delivery drone uses video to help it navigate, but the company says that the images aren’t archived and can’t be used except for technical analysis.
Some drone companies have complained that the process of obtaining air-carrier certification was too onerous. Many of the requirements that made sense for a charter airline — like flight attendants and seat belts for the crew — didn’t apply to them.