Robotic Skies has entered into a partnership with drone delivery service provider Skyports in order to develop maintenance programs for Skyports’ unmanned aerial systems (UAS). The maintenance standards in programs such as these will provide an essential framework for the safety and ongoing airworthiness of certified UAS as they evolve to transport heavier payloads, fly longer distances, and carry people within and between urban environments.
Robotic Skies is a global maintenance, repair, and overhaul network for commercial UAS. Through partnerships with OEMs and existing traditional manned aviation repair stations, the company provides enterprise UAS fleet operators with local turnkey field service support. Robotic Skies employs methodologies developed in the manned aviation sector to make UAS flight operations safe, productive, and compliant with regulatory maintenance requirements. The Robotic Skies Service Center network is comprised of over 200 independently owned and operated certified repair stations, in over 40 countries.
Skyports provides end-to-end drone delivery services for the medical, e-commerce, and logistics industries, and is currently conducting medical drone delivery flights to assist the NHS in Scotland during the coronavirus pandemic. In addition, as a participant in the UK Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) Regulatory Sandbox, Skyports is working to advance regulatory approvals that will lead to more beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations and the safe integration of these flights into non-segregated airspace – key to realising a permanent drone delivery service.
Duncan Walker, CEO of Skyports, commented: “Certified maintenance is vital to enable full-scale, permanent commercial drone delivery operations. With Robotic Skies, our fleet of UAV systems will be maintained to the same safety standards as traditional certified aircraft. This partnership allows us to further demonstrate our commitment to the safe operation and integration of delivery drones alongside other users of the airspace and supports our plans to grow our service network internationally.”
Brad Hayden, CEO and founder of Robotic Skies, said: “We are excited to partner with Skyports as they pursue the expansion of drone delivery and other BVLOS flight operations in the UK and beyond. Our global Service Center Network puts high-quality support services where Skyports customers need it. Because we are leveraging the existing manned aviation infrastructure, we offer the highest quality, safety, and consistency in our programs to satisfy operators, regulators, and manufacturers.”
Robotic Skies and Skyports also plan to collaborate on the development of maintenance programmes and facilities for the emerging Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) industry. Skyports designs, builds, and operates networks of vertiports to enable safe and efficient passenger air taxi and cargo drone operations in major urban areas.
